The Vampire King
by Kezzikun
Summary: He would do anything to protect what was his. He would damn himself a million times over; darken and consume any and all if it meant keeping her safe and happy. But would that be enough to keep her safe from an impending attack as well as his own building needs and desires? 'ARC I - TVK Original'
1. Reoccurring Nightmares

**A/N: This story is loosely based off of the manga. You will notice trace elements/scenes of the manga as well as original content. You will also notice the characters having similar personality traits from the manga as well as out-of-character traits.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

A scream shattered the still night. His head snapped up, looking at the direction the shrill sound escaped from. Heart hammering away against his chest in fear of what could have happened, he threw the half dead man to the ground and started to run. Run as fast as his legs would allow him. Blood, tainted blood, dripped from his fingers and into the crisp snow as he rushed onward.

_"Protect her."_

He had been so preoccupied with destroying everything in his view that his one and only goal in life had unknowingly escaped his awareness. It wasn't unexpected, the attack. That sorry excuse of a man, with his dozens of followers, had littered their home's courtyard with their malignant presence. That man's intentions were clear. He had come to take what wasn't his.

What was he to do? Let that wretch take what rightfully belonged to him? Not if his life depended on it. He did what had to be done, which was hold his ground and attack back with the intent to destroy. And destroy he did. The men that had followed that idiot still littered the courtyard; however, they were no longer whole. The earth was bathed in their poisoned life source. Limbs were scattered about, flesh torn, heads separated.

He would do anything to protect what was his. He would damn himself a million times over; darken and consume any and all, regardless if they were pure and innocent or darkened and evil. But what good did that do him now, if the fear that had suddenly clenched his heart said anything of the situation? What if he was too consumed with the desire to destroy the threat that he ended up being the cause of his own loss? A scream. She would not scream unless there was a reason to. And what if he made it to her, but made it too late? What good would his intentions be then?

So he pushed himself further, faster, noticing two pairs of tracks in the snow already. The small, frantic steps that were placed in fear by his one and only; the large, hungry steps of the tainted monster. No, he couldn't be too late. He wouldn't allow that. He would make it on time and when he did, who ever it was would regret even thinking of being in the same presence as his beloved.

He ran from the mansion, through a small trail leading through a wooded area until he broke into a clearing. The world around him was coated in the cleanest and purest of whites. Snow topped the trees, swallowing and coating any darkness that attempted to show itself. Hilled trees cocooned the opening, closing it off from the outside world. With the exception of the foot prints, the ground was unmarred and whole. And in the center of the defoliated area was the reason for his existence. His one and only, wide eyed with panic sprawled across her angelic face, tears streaming down her soft cheeks.

And the cause of her panic and fear? The reason she trembled and struggled? A lowly creature. A contemptuous monster who emitted a sickening scent of desire. His hands restraining his prey, mouth snarling and spittle flying from his mouth into her hair and coat. Head lowering slowly as he licked lips and opened his mouth to show his yellowed fangs. He pushed her down into the snow and held her hands above her head with one hand as the other pulled her head sharply to the side by her hair.

It seemed like he watched for hours, rooted to his spot as he stared at the delusional man threatening to devour his love. The fear that had pushed him to reach this point had frozen him solid with shock at the sight of her in this position. In reality, it was but a fraction of a second. A moment that would be forever embedded into his soul.

He snapped out of his stupor quickly as renewed rage billowed throughout his body, needing a release. He growled loudly, his lips curling to reveal his own set of white and pristine fangs. The man, at hearing the growl several yards behind him, stopped in his descent to his meal to look over his shoulder. He let his prize go and crouched quickly with his arms bent and ready to tackle the intrusion.

The girl whimpered in fear and scooted back when her attacker's attention was no longer on her. She looked around frantically for somewhere to hide, but being in the middle of an open sea of snow held no cover. Her eyes darted quickly back to the creature who was intent on stealing her life from her, and then quickly at the man that interrupted her sure death.

From his peripheral view, he saw her looking around for a way to escape, but he kept his gaze on the animal in front of her. He thought it unnecessary for her to try and hide at this point, for he was going to destroy the thing that threatened her. Truth be told, though, he did not want her to see him this way. He was losing his control over his emotions.

First, that idiot showed up to their home and threatened her life in front of him, Haruka and Juri. Then this low life dared to lay a hand on her. So close. So close to losing her forever if he hadn't heard her scream. If he hadn't ran to her as fast as he could, if he was but a minute late, it would have been too late.

Red flashed over his vision. He would not lose her, especially not like this. He snarled again and sprinted forward to kill the creature in between him and what was his. The man rushed him in response, not knowing that he would already have been dead if he wasn't feeling the need to inflict pain upon him first.

With a scream of rage, he slashed out at the scum across his throat. The parasite stumbled and lost his footing, falling to his knees and grabbing at his open wound as blood trickled through his fingers, shock evident on his face. It was inevitable that he would die soon, but it wasn't enough. He had to suffer more. He raised his arm up again, ready to strike at the bleeding man once again. He heard a soft gasp ahead of him and he looked up to see his lovely girl staring at him with wide eyes. New tears glistened on her cheeks and rolled off her jaw to meet the hardened snow.

"_Protect her."_

Yes, she was the only thing for him on this earth. Even if he had to turn into a monster, a bigger monster than he already was, even if she ended up hating him as a result of it, as long as she was safe, he would do whatever was needed.

He lashed out again at the man kneeling in front of him who was coughing and sputtering on his own blood. His hardened and elongated nails scored the man across his face, creating deep gashes along his eye, across his nose and trailing off on his opposite cheek. New blood spurted from the wounds and the man tried to screech in pain, grabbing at his face with one hand as the other held on to his throat. He knelt further, losing his balance and landing face first into the compacted snow.

He wanted to hurt this creature more. He wanted to lash out repeatedly and tear him apart, separate his limbs and throw them across the field. He wanted to keep him close to death to prolong his pain and burn him from the inside out. Yet hearing the soft panting of the girl in front of him, smelling her fear leak through her pores, brought him back to his senses and allowed him to control and reign in his anger.

Instead, it was replaced with love and concern. The need to take her away from the sights her eyes refused her to rest from. To shower her with tender kisses to make her forget everything that happened that evening. To replace the fear and sorrow she felt with happiness and joy.

He raised his hand to his mouth slowly and let his tongue dart out to dab at the blood staining his skin. The taste of it sickened him. Not because it was blood, but because it was infected and polluted. He quickly flicked his hand down and away, spattering the blood and tinging the snow a hue of pink.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he walked to his love and offered her his other hand. Though it too was covered in blood, it wasn't as bad as his other. He watched her look up at him and stare into his eyes with confusion and wonder, tears brimming along her bottom lashes. He knelt down on one knee in front of her, his hand still outstretched, and gave her a gentle and reassuring smile.

"_Protect her."_ The words resonated through his body and entwined itself with his soul. Yes, he would indeed stop at nothing to ensure she was safe and happy.

She gently raised a small, mitten covered hand and rested it on his bare, larger one. He watched as she looked down at their hands together and then raised her eyes back to his face. His smile became bigger as he nodded an unspoken reassurance to her. He saw her eyes lower to his mouth, transfixed on his smile, when he realized he inadvertently allowed the tip of his fangs to peak through. Her brows knitted in worry and his heart tightened at the sight.

* * *

Kaname awoke from his nightmare, bolting upright and clenching his shirt in his fist over his heart. The light sheet that covered him fell forward and pooled across his lap. His heart hammered frantically as he relived that night again. The emotions he felt that day coursing through his body once again all at once. The anger, the fear, the worry; all of it swirled around him and he found it hard to breathe for a few moments.

His left hand came up and covered his face as he lowered his head, causing his long hair to fall over his fingers and cover his eyes. Inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply, he fought for control over his emotions. He was a Kuran, after all. Kaname Kuran, a pureblood that was always stoic and in control over his emotions and thoughts. Or at least that's how he appeared on the outside.

No one really knew how he was inside his own mind. And though he really was calm and collected most of the time, he had his moments of complete mental chaos that threatened to annihilate his sanity. The one thread that kept it all together was his one and only love: Yuuki. His pure and innocent, lovely Yuuki.

Thoughts of her swirled throughout his mind and replaced the remnants of his nightmare, the same nightmare he had for the past ten years. He wondered what she was doing at that moment, where she was and who she was with, what she was feeling. Was she thinking of him? Did she ever?

Lowering his arms to rest in his lap, he turned and looked at the clock on the bed side table. The arms of the clock were raised and to the side, like a Geisha in a dance suspended in time, portraying it to be a quarter to nine... in the morning. He groaned and covered his face again as he noticed a slice of light shine through the heavy curtains into the darkness of his room, specks of dust dancing lazily through it. A ray of light in the darkness, just like his Yuuki was to him. She was the blazing sun in the ever shadowed world of his.

He threw the sheets to the side and forced himself to stand and enter the attached bathroom to take a shower. He doubted he'd fall back asleep and since he was awake he figured he may as well get some work done. Being a pureblood, regardless of his lack of interest in the political world of vampires, forced him to still do work to obtain a certain level of peace that only someone in his position could do. A council of noblemen, even with their collective power, was still no match to him.

As the water washed over him, his thoughts went back to Yuuki. After that fateful incident ten years ago, with the loss of her parents and everything else in her life because of that _stupid man_, he had brought her to an old family friend who could raise a human girl properly. It broke his heart to be parted from her, but sacrifices were made for her to live safely and he had to honor that, even if it brought him immense pain to be separated from her.

The man that raised her was a retired vampire hunter, Kaien Cross. Who better to protect his lovely, human Yuuki from vampires than a fellow human vampire hunter? If he were honest with himself, he would have much preferred to keep her locked away and hidden from the world. To only have him as her world, but he couldn't do that to her.

She was a light hearted free spirit that needed the sun and the compassion of her friends around her. How he loved to see her wings spread and be carefree, yet at the same time how he wished to crush those wings to keep her to himself.

Yuuki was currently in her last year of school at the Cross Academy, as was he. Cross Academy had a Day and Night class, Day being for the humans and Night being for the vampires. None of the humans, with the exception of a few, knew the Night Class members were vampires. They simply thought they were children of wealthy nobles with extenuating circumstances, though that wasn't entirely false.

None of the vampires attending Cross Academy were allowed to drink blood directly from a human. They all respected and followed that rule, though the temptations and desires were certainly there. It was hard to deny the natural instinct of their nature. Like denying a dehydrated man water from a river since it wasn't bottled yet. But they followed the rules, nonetheless, as his word was final and the law. Each of the members, whether having sworn it or not, had complete loyalty and trust in him. He was their King.

He _was _a king. The king of _all_ vampires on Earth.

Steam from the shower had fogged the bathroom and mirror. He stepped out and wiped at his body carelessly with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. Brushing his hand across the mirror, he tried to clear enough of it to inspect himself.

He never really looked at himself in a mirror before. He wasn't entirely vain, after all, and such things were trivial. This time, he wanted to look at himself from a disconnected point of view. Over the past ten years, after Yuuki was given to Kaien, he had always been there for her, watching her mostly from a distance. He would often visit their household for meetings with Kaien to settle on finalities on the introduction of the Night Class into Kaien's academy. Secretly, he wanted to see Yuuki up close and be able to interact with her in any way possible, but he could never come up with a reason to do so outside of his meetings with Kaien. Once the school preparations were made and settled, he would be able to see her on a daily basis with the pretense of it being because of school.

So there he was, the extremely old soul of a pureblood in a young man's body, staring at himself in a fogged bathroom mirror to see if he was, what people often referred to, as attractive. Why he was trying to do this himself, he wasn't sure. He had no inkling what made a male physically attractive to the opposite sex. Appeal came in various forms, did it not? He stared at his face, with his reddish brown eyes; his straight and narrow nose; how his top lip was narrower than his fuller bottom lip; the way his long, straight, deep brown hair covered his eyes and lightly brushed his shoulders. Was he attractive? Who knew? Certainly not him. He shrugged and lowered his head in thought.

He hoped that Yuuki found him attractive. He had done his best to protect her and make her happy but what if that wasn't enough for her? Did she notice him as a man? Did she have thoughts of him, pure or impure? He wondered what it would be like to kiss her lips, to feel her soft touch and hear her heart pounding against his chest. What it would be like to feel her warm breath against his neck and the moans of pleasure to escape her lips.

The towel around his waist loosened and fell as the intrusion of his suddenly hardened member disturbed the harmony of the towel's original placement. He groaned in frustration as he turned back to the shower and put the water on cold, letting it spray over his heated flesh.

Lately, his thoughts kept going around in circles with these unanswered questions. As a man who had always been confident in his abilities and secure with his esteem in his powers and capabilities to plan and manipulate things, to be suddenly unsure and self-conscious when it came to Yuuki's feeling for him as a man made him feel uneasy and angry.

More importantly, what if she didn't view him as a potential mate but instead just as an older brother figure, a savior from her attack ten years ago? Even worse, what if she fancied someone else instead? The thought of her with another man made the control over his emotions and powers crack slightly.

Suddenly, he heard a whining snap as tiles from the shower wall splintered and cracked to create room for the pipe behind it to break through. The spray from the shower head halted as the water erupted from the broken pipe instead, the pressure making the water smack him in the face, causing him to accidentally swallow and choke on a large portion of water.

He coughed harshly and lowered his head down and away as his hands flew up in front of him to block the spray of water. His throat tightened and his eyes watered, his nose burning from inhaling some of the water. As he reigned in his coughing, he turned his body so his side and back were sprayed instead as he reached to open the shower door to step out.

As he lifted one leg to step over the boundary, another coughing fit hit him. He doubled over, which caused him to lose his balance temporarily and slip against the over abundance of water. Ungracefully, he fell forward and smacked his face against the floor, his arms sprawled out to the sides and his legs up in the air. He laid there a moment, contemplating on what he was sure was a ridiculous position to be in and how he got there. After a minute, he let his legs down from their suspended position and moved his head to the side to allow him to breathe easier.

He felt small fibers from the floor mat on his tongue. His right eye and brow hurt fiercely and he knew he had a small cut at his temple, but goodness if he couldn't make himself care at that moment. The cut would heal quickly, the bruising would follow shortly afterward. The one thing that wouldn't mend itself right away was his wandering thoughts of Yuuki with another man and the pain it caused his heart as it constricted in protest.

But if that's what made her happy, he would have to deal with his pain and suffering alone. He would, instead, have to continue to smile at her and support her—protect her. After all, her happiness was all that mattered. He couldn't think of being selfish... right?

He'd have to put these thoughts aside for the moment. Now, he needed to get up and get dressed. Concentrate and do the work he had originally set out to do before the sun set over the horizon and the Night Class attended their shift at the academy.

As he exited his bathroom, still nude and dripping with water, he heard pounding footsteps in the hallway as the door to his bedroom burst open, freezing him in place in the center of his room.

"Lord Ka-na-meeeeee! Are you okaaaay?!" Hanabusa singsonged fervently as he entered the room unannounced. "I smelled your blo—" Upon seeing Kaname standing in the middle of the room, naked and wet, he froze in his place; one hand still on the door handle and a leg still bent in the process of taking the next step. He quickly turned his head aside and averted his eyes as his neck and face flushed a scarlet red. He exited the room just as quickly as he entered, slamming the door behind him.

This is going to be a long day, Kaname thought to himself as he shook his head and walked into his closet to get dressed.

* * *

**A/N: ****I'd like to hear if you feel the chapter length is too long (as the upcoming ones will be similar in size). I can break them down if it's easier to read that way.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	2. Threatening Glares

**A/N: Wow, I would like to thank absolutely everyone for their wonderful reviews. I only hope now that I don't disappoint. The pressure's on, sucka!**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

After he had dressed and downed a couple blood tablets, Kaname spent a good portion of his day seated in his office doing paper work. Most of the paperwork appeared to be relating to the various issues and concerns of the vampiric world that required his attention, though that was mostly a cover for his true work.

That dreadful night ten years ago, Rido—that atrocious excuse of a man—didn't die by Kaname's hand. No, Rido lived, but just barely. If he hadn't rushed off to save Yuuki from that _Level E_ vampire, not that he regretted saving her, then Rido would have died. Instead, he got a beating of a lifetime. Most of his free time was dedicated in finding where Rido was in hiding so he could finish him off once and for all. No doubt he was recovering from the attack. Even though Rido was also a pureblood Kuran, a powerful one at that, he was still not on the same level as Kaname. No one was.

It was late in the afternoon and the switch at the academy from Day Class to Night Class would begin soon. The Day Class students were actually already free, as there were hours in between when the Day Class was let out and the Night Class began. Undoubtedly, there would be a horde of females and a few males awaiting the members of the Night Class to exit their Moon Dormitory and enter the academy. The presence and auras that the aristocratic vampires gave off naturally seduced people and caught their attention. They naturally wanted to get closer to them.

Little did they knew the allure was all an unconscious hunting technique a born vampire possessed.

On the bright side, as annoying as the futile attempts the humans made to capture his heart were, he would be able to see his Yuuki as she guarded the Day students from the Night. He may even be able to exchange a few words with her today. He would be happy to just see her, especially after the morning he had. He heard a knock at the door, though he already knew of the presence behind it.

"Come in," he answered mildly. The door slowly opened and a bundle of blonde hair and a set of ice blue eyes peaked through. Hanabusa waited at the entrance, using the door as a type of shield to cover half his body.

"Lord Kaname, you wanted to see me?" he meekly announced.

"Enter and have a seat, Aidou." Hanabusa did as instructed, seating himself in front of Kaname's desk and looking down. "Do you know why I called you here, Aidou?"

"To..." he trailed off. "To punish me for my indiscretion earlier?"

"While I admit that you acted without thought, I don't see any reason to punish you for your concern in my well being." Kaname watched the relief wash over Hanabusa's face. "However," he started, and noticed his young friend tense slightly, "I highly recommend practicing control over your emotions to better analyze situations before rushing into battle. Also, learn to knock, please. Where are your manners?"

"I'm so sorry, Lord Kaname! It wont ever happen again!" At the realization that he truly was not going to get punished, Hanabusa's face lit up and he clasped his hands in front of him, stars shining brightly in his eyes. "I'm glad you're alright! And please know that the plumbing in your master bathroom has been fixed already!"

"Thank you." Kaname glanced down at his papers once more. There was a trend he was noticing and he hoped that it meant a lead to follow up on regarding the whereabouts of Rido.

"It's going to be a lovely morning tonight, Lord Kaname," Hanabusa continued. The beginning of the night was considered 'morning' to some vampires. "My lovely fans are awaiting their prince!" He stood and looked as if he was in a far away place.

"Just remember the rules, Aidou."

"Why, yes, of course!" With that, Hanabusa skipped to the door and left the room to join the rest of their Night Class members.

"Seiren," Kaname called quietly.

"Kaname," Seiren replied in acknowledgment as she stepped out from the shadows of the room. She made a fist and placed it over her heart as she bowed her head. Kaname held out a paper to her and she took it from him silently.

"I want a full report," he commanded. Seiren, his unofficial bodyguard, bowed her head once more before her figure cut out into vertical lines and she blinked away.

* * *

It was that time of day again. Kaname led the rest of the Night Class out of their dormitory and down the stone steps to the gate that imprisoned them from the rest of the world. Their little island among the humans. As they got closer to the gate the cries of the Day Class students that had lined up to gaze upon them could be heard. He remained calm and collected as always even though he knew he would get a chance to see his Yuuki.

Unfortunately, that also meant that he'd have to see that Kiryu boy. He ground his teeth together thinking of how Zero Kiryu acted as Yuuki's shadow, always following her around and never leaving her side. It made seeing Yuuki difficult as he always interrupted. If it weren't for Yuuki's attachment to Zero, he would have already disposed of him. As it were, he would endure Zero's negative and biased attitude and instead use him as a piece, if he could, in his game of chess.

The gates creaked open and the girls waiting for them quickly fell silent and created an aisle for them to walk through. Some of the Night Class students went ahead, catering and calling out to the Day Class students. Kaname found Yuuki with her back to the procession with her arms stretched out, trying to contain the energy bubbling out from the students. He sighed as he wouldn't get a chance to see her face. When he looked around he noticed Zero was no where in sight.

He smiled slightly. This would be a perfect opportunity to get a few words with Yuuki without her guard dog around. He had to remind himself that he allowed Zero to live because it made Yuuki happy and it would upset her if anything happened to him.

"Good morning, my lovely ladies!" Hanabusa called out. He shined brightly for his fans and flashed dazzling smiles every which way. The girls became more excited and cheered loudly, yelling proclamations of their love for him, chanting 'Idol! Idol!' repeatedly. "You should try this too, Akatsuki."

"No, thanks. I'm fine with the Night Class having only one idiot," Akatsuki replied.

"Aw, you're no fun. The humans love us." He turned his attention back to the girls as they continued to walk down the aisle they created.

One girl rushed forward with love shining in her eyes and grabbed Hanabusa's arm. "Aidou! Aidou! I love you!"

"Oh, my beautiful dear." He held her hand and brought it to his lips as he smiled down at her. "And what blood type would you happen to have?" The girl blushed and looked dazed as she opened her mouth to respond. Before she could blink she found herself separated from Hanabusa and pushed back to the line of other girls.

"Aidou!" Yuuki exclaimed low enough for the girls not to hear. "You know you're not supposed to ask that!"

"Did I say something I wasn't supposed to? I didn't even notice! I'm just so excited, it really is a lovely morning. What blood type do you have, Yuuki? Because your scent is always so sweet." He stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand, sniffing at her wrist.

Kaname walked up behind Hanabusa and burned holes into the back of his head with his stare. Hanabusa froze, not having to turn around to know that his leader stood behind him, unhappy. He quickly let go of Yuuki's hand and rushed forward to catch up with Akatsuki.

"Kaname!" Yuuki said with surprise. Her cheeks flushed as she bowed her head down. "Good morning! Er, I mean, good evening!"

"Hello, Yuuki. Thank you for your hard work." He motioned to the crowd of people on each side of the pathway. The blood that rushed to her cheeks held most of his attention. He gently touched her chin with the side of his index finger and raised her face up to look into her chocolate brown eyes. "You look lovely today." Her blush became deeper.

And of course Zero chose that moment to appear to snatch his arm and push it away from Yuuki. Kaname was a man that was very capable of keeping control over his emotions and powers, not counting earlier that morning in the shower, but there was something about Zero Kiryu that grated at his nerves the wrong way and pushed at his buttons.

"Zero!" Yuuki yelled at him. "It's—"

"Kuran, you and your little band of merry men don't want to be late for class, do you?" Zero cut Yuuki off, not bothering to mask his hatred towards the pureblood. He ignored the death stares the rest of the Night Class gave him. To Zero, Kaname appeared to be passive and uncaring of the intrusion.

Kaname, on the other hand, was exercising that control he was so well known for. He had a quick mental picture of tying a noose around Zero's neck and dragging him behind a horse over the rockiest terrain possible. With poison ivy, if Zero was allergic to it. And cactus plants to emphasis the painfully irritating, prickling sensation he felt when he thought of Zero. Kaname smiled at the thought.

"You're scary," he said as he turned and walked away, leading the rest of the Night Class away.

* * *

Zero turned around and glared at the remaining girls. He hated the idea of them willingly throwing themselves at vampires and he hated the idea that he had to protect such idiocy.

"What are you idiots doing? Go back to your dorms! It's past the curfew!" At this, the students blanched and darted away towards the Sun Dormitory. When they were all out of sight, he felt a jab in the middle of his back. "Ow, what the hell?" He turned around as Yuuki moved to punch him again.

"What is your problem, Zero? Why are you always late and when you show up why are you always so mean to Kaname?"

"Kaname, Kaname, Kaname." Zero glared at Yuuki. "That's all I ever hear coming out of your mouth. You realize he's an animal, a demon taking shape of a man, don't you? They all are, all vampires."

"Kaname is—"

"Isn't like that? Yeah, or so you keep saying. He has an aura that not even evil wants to get close to." He clasped his hands together and held them under his chin as he batted his lashes, portraying his interpretation of Yuuki with a high pitched voice. "Oh Kaname, you're my hero. You're my savior. You're the bestestest vampire in the whooooooole world and I just love you so much! Let's run away and have little half vampire, half idiot babies!"

"_You're _the idiot, Zero." Yuuki punched him in the stomach then turned her back to him and walked towards the Chairman's office. Kaien Cross was the founder and chairman of Cross Academy; he was also her foster father and the man who raised Zero for the past four years. She would go report today's uneventful events before starting her patrol of the grounds. It was her and Zero's job as Perfects to ensure that the Day Class students didn't wander into the woods during night, to protect them from the Night Class students and ensure the Night Class stayed in line.

Zero watched her storm off as she muttered to herself under her breath. He watched the way her shoulders were tensed with anger, how her hips swayed back and forth and the way her skirt swished around her thighs. He felt the beginnings of desire trickle throughout his system as he watched her. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned and walked towards the school to start his patrolling.

The hunger in him lately had been increased. He tried consuming the blood tablets that the Night Class was testing as a substitute for human blood but they weren't working. They weren't even taking the edge off. If the progression of his hunger continued at the pace that it was, he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold out before he attacked someone and sucked them dry. Though he wouldn't mind if he was sucked dry in a different way. At least the latter was something he could achieve easily without feeling like a monster.

With that last thought in his mind, he switched directions. Waiting a half hour or so to start patrols wouldn't make a difference and he could use that time to get some sort of release. Most students in the Day Class were scared of him because of his cold attitude but that didn't mean there weren't willing parties to fornicate with. As long as Yuuki didn't find out then it didn't matter who he did it with, so long as they kept their mouth shut.

Both Sun and Moon Dormitories were separated by gender and most everyone in both dormitories had a roommate. There was one female student he had in mind that wasn't obsessed with the Night Class like the majority of the others. Zero had never tried to seduce her before but he decided now was a good time. He was sick of Kaname Kuran and Yuuki's blatant love for him, so he wanted a way to get a jab in at Kaname when ever possible.

He reached his destination quickly and knocked on the door, waiting for a response. He heard a couple foot steps from behind the wooden frame before the door was opened to reveal light brown hair and hazel eyes. Sayori Wakaba, or Yori as Yuuki liked to call her, looked up at Zero and gave him an affable smile, the likes of which were reserved for restaurant managers and boutique clerks.

"Zero, hello. Yuuki isn't in right now. I thought she'd be out on patrols with you."

"I know she's not here, that's why I came." Zero looked her up and down. She was wearing pink pajamas with a slash of yellow at the top. She leaned against the door as she unintentionally blocked the entrance.

"If you know she's not here, then why are you here? Did something happen to her?" Worry laced her voice as he no doubt knew her mind would start to think of various things that could have happened to her best friend and roommate.

"No, she's fine. She's with Chairman Cross at the moment. I'm actually here to see you." He placed his arm on the door's frame and leaned in close to her face. She was considerably shorter than his six foot frame, though he knew she was a few inches taller than Yuuki.

"Me?" She looked at him oddly, a little nervous about his sudden proximity.

"Mind if I come in, Sa-yo-ri?" He broke her name apart as he said it. He wasn't particularly close to her and had never called her by her first name. This made her blush lightly and she nodded, opening the door further and stepping to the side to allow him room to enter. When he did, she closed the door behind her.

He looked around the room. It was much like any other dorm room with two beds, two desks with chairs and two closets. One side a mirror to the other with a large window separating the two sides. The room looked lived in. It had that feeling of warmth that couldn't be duplicated, which only someone with a positive disposition could emit. It was the complete opposite of his: cold, much like his persona.

Zero took his uniform jacket off and threw it on the bed to the left then sat on what he knew was Yuuki's bed. He placed his arms behind him and leaned back as he watched Sayori stand by the door a moment longer before she approached him. She sat opposite of him on her own bed on the right side of the room and looked at him with slight confusion.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about, Zero? You know it's not wise for men to be in the women's dorm. People could gossip if they saw you entering a female student's room."

"Then why did you let me in? Aren't you worried someone will think we're doing something naughty and gossip about you?" He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees so he could get closer to her.

"Well..." she trailed off, her cheeks infused with a shade of coral at his insinuation. "I'm not too worried. You're Zero Kiryu after all. I don't think anyone would risk spreading gossip about you."

"That's true," he replied. "But actually, the reason why I came here was because I wanted to talk to you." He lifted his finger and trailed it down her cheek, tracing her bottom lip. Her eyes widened as the act registered in her head.

"Wh-what are you doing, Zero?" she stammered.

"Something I've wanted to do for a very long time." He didn't really, but what did it matter what he said so long as the end result was him getting pleasured in some way? She wouldn't know any better. He leaned in and kissed her gently and tentatively, wanting to test the waters to see how she would respond.

She gasped in surprise but did not move away, get angry or slap him. This was a good sign for him. This was something he could work with. He stood and moved to tower over her as he snaked his arms around her waist and lifted her up from her sitting position on her bed. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him as he kissed her again. Taking the two required steps back to reach Yuuki's bed, he sat down and let Sayori rest on his lap.

Sayori squirmed lightly and felt his hardened member against her leg. She was not expecting something like this to happen so suddenly. Not with Zero Kiryu, the man she had been secretly pining for for the past two and a half years. She was in a daze of sorts, not believing it was real as a torrent of desire and confusion flushed over her.

Zero unbuttoned her pajama shirt as he continued to kiss her. He pushed the top roughly off of her shoulders and cupped her breasts. Sayori inhaled sharply against Zero's lips as he squeezed hard.

"Ze-zero, wait."

"I can't wait," he told her in between kisses. "You feel too good." He leaned back on to Yuuki's bed, causing Sayori to fall on top of him. His hands slid down Sayori's back and grabbed the waist band of her pants. When he started to tug them down, Sayori's hands shot out and grabbed on to his in an effort to stop him.

"Zero, please. You're going too fast. I've never done anything like this before," she pleaded. Zero sat up and pushed her to the side and off of him, letting her fall onto Yuuki's bed. He turned his back to her and lowered his head. "I'm sorry. What's wrong, Zero?" Sayori grabbed at some of the blanket and held it against her chest in an attempt to cover herself. She felt embarrassed and scared.

"You think I'm ugly, don't you?" Zero responded quietly.

"What? Why would you say that?"

"Why would you want to be with someone like me? I have a bad attitude and I'm sure you find the students from the _Night _Class more attractive." He was trying to play the insecure and low self-esteem card hoping that it would make her feel guilty and give in quicker. Deep down he felt this way about Yuuki. How long had he been by her side with no progress at all? How long had he waited for her to look his way and smile at him the way she smiled at that monster? He looked at Yuuki's pillow, noticing her scent was stronger the closer he lowered his head, so he did so until his forehead was resting on the soft lump. He inhaled deeply and let it out slowly.

"I'm not too impressed with the Night Class and I don't think you're ugly, Zero! Please believe me," she answered. She moved closer and placed her hand on his back.

"You really don't think I'm ugly?"

"No, of course not! I find you attractive and I don't think you have a bad attitude. I just think you use that as a front to cover your true feelings. I think something must have happened to you that scarred you in the past and torments you to this day." She spoke earnestly and honestly, thinking that she could soothe some of his uneasiness. What she actually said did the opposite. Zero didn't know how Sayori could see through him so easily and he certainly didn't want some insignificant woman to point out his flaws.

"Then prove it to me," he told her, trying to keep his cool and keep his act up.

"Prove it how?" She rubbed his back gently.

"Let me make love to you right now." He turned around and grabbed her wrist, dragging her down on the bed. He moved so he was above her. Silver hair fell forward and covered his eyes. When he leaned down to kiss her again, she placed her free hand on his chest and pushed back gently. Why is she stopping me? he thought. Do I need to try a different tactic?

"Maybe, um, shouldn't we move over to my bed...?" she trailed off.

"Don't think about the details, who cares? It's fine." He reached down and shoved her pants and panties down quickly before he unzipped his pants to take himself out. Once he was free, he grabbed the hand on his chest and pinned it with her other over her head. She was panting slightly with a furious blush scoring her cheeks.

"Uh, Zero. Wait, you should know I'm—" Before she could finish her sentence, he centered himself in between her legs and shoved himself into her, his mouth smashing over hers to dampen her cry of shock and pain.

Her body went rigid as she continued to cry out in protest against his mouth, unable to cope with the sudden intrusion and the pain that it incurred. She tried to free her hands by tugging down but he was stronger than she was and it had no effect. Though she was slightly damp from their earlier kisses, she was no where near wet enough to accommodate his size or entrance, especially since she was a virgin.

Zero was okay with that, though. He found it to cause more friction for him which felt better. He stayed still for a few moments to let her get used to being impaled by him. Though he may have liked it rough and sometimes didn't care if his partner finished, he certainly didn't get off on raping anyone.

Switching both her hands into one of his, he lowered the other down to her hip and held on, rubbing her hip bone gently with his thumb. When he felt her loosen slightly, he eased himself out and thrust back in. She tensed again but her cries weren't as prominent.

He broke their kiss and trailed his lips down to her neck, licking the length of it and inhaling Yuuki's scented pillow again. He groaned against Sayori's flesh, grinding his hips in a circular motion against her folds. In return, Sayori gasped and moaned, part of her tension leaving her to be replaced with arousal.

He'd noticed her look at him slightly longer than usual in the hallways and classes lately. This was why he chose Sayori and why he disregarded her request to switch beds. With Sayori starting to wriggle around beneath him and against the bed, Yuuki's scent would rub off on her. For a fleeting moment he could pretend he was actually with Yuuki. The stubborn, sweet, kind hearted Yuuki.

But he couldn't be with Yuuki because the only thing Yuuki ever thought about was Kaname Kuran. Zero picked up his pace and thrust into Sayori harder, almost angry-like in the motion. She had labored breathing and was moaning, her face flushed and sweat glistened over her skin. Would this be how Yuuki looked if he took her? Would she be panting and begging for more? Calling out his name with lust and love? Would she be looking at him through out the day when he wasn't paying attention like she did with Kaname?

He tried to picture her in Sayori's position. He tried to pretend the noises coming from Sayori's throat were Yuuki's instead. He smelled Yuuki's ceaseless scent and Sayori's arousal, heard the slapping sound of him against her as he hammered away. The scent of blood from taking Sayori's virginity lingered in his nose

"Zero!" Sayori called out as she tightened around him and screamed her climax. He covered her mouth with his again to muffle the sound so the rest of the dorm wouldn't hear her. A few more thrusts into her and he felt the tightening in his sac before he let go of her arms to kneel in front of her. He pulled out and finished himself off on top of her.

She stilled momentarily as she realized he had ejaculated on her stomach. She sat up slightly and tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Sorry, but you know..." he motioned to her and then to his member. "I didn't use protection. You should probably go get cleaned up. I'll change the sheets and tidy up here." He stuffed himself back into his pants and zipped it as he stood from the bed. Sayori got up and quickly grabbed her discarded clothes and her robe, wrapping herself around it as she excused herself out of the room to rush to the dorm showers.

Zero sat back down on Yuuki's bed and rubbed his face with his hands. He didn't know where they kept the extra sheets but he didn't really care. Looking at the bed he noticed that they had ended up having sex over his uniform jacket anyway, so there was no evidence for Yuuki to be able to tell. He pushed his jacket to the ground and straightened the sheets and made the bed. Grabbing his jacket, he swung it over his shoulder and walked out. He'd have to make a stop by his room to clean up before he went on patrols.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, from day one I've always been a Kaname/Yuuki fan. No, I don't and never have hated/disliked Zero even though I've made him out to be an ass.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	3. The Dreams One Has

**A/N: Two chapters at once. Double whammy in your face.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Kaname had an uneasy feeling but he couldn't figure out the cause for it. They had just finished their classes for the evening. Most of the students lingered around and were involved in conversations amongst themselves. Some went out for a walk in the permitted areas, others clustered off into groups and went to enjoy whatever it was they were doing, and a few read books or listened to music.

He had left the classroom to wander the halls for a short period as he thought of the report Seiren would bring back. With her skills of teleportation and persuasion, she was able to gather an abundance of information in short periods of time. He expected her to be back before the night ended.

Pacing was something he wasn't fond of doing as he was a generally still creature, preferring to be tranquil. Shortly after leaving the rest of the group he had entered an empty classroom that was encased in darkness.

He went to the windows that covered the length of the wall and opened one of the frames. Cool and crisp air came through, washing over his senses. Soon he would be able to glimpse Yuuki as she made her rounds. The corners of his mouth raised lightly as he thought of her blush from earlier in the day.

* * *

"Zero! Where have you been? You've been missing half the night!" Yuuki yelled at him when she found him laying against a tree trunk with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Yo."

"Don't you 'yo' me. Get up and help me do the patrols. The night has been calm and silent and sometimes I wonder if we really need to keep an eye out, but it's our job as Perfects."

"Yeah, yeah. Help me up, would you?" He lifted his hand to her and she clasped it. With a quick tug she helped him stand. Before he let go he appeared to trip over something on the ground and he ended up holding on to her in a tight embrace. She instinctively grabbed on to him to help steady his frame.

"Jeez." She let go of him and he rubbed her shoulders and arms down in an attempt to smooth out her uniform. "It's fine, it's fine. Thanks. Now let's go patrol. I've already done most of the grounds so let's split up and go around the school, then meet up at our usual spot before we go from there."

"Alright, I'll go this way." He pointed with his thumb behind him and she nodded.

Turning and heading in the opposite direction, Yuuki wondered what Zero had been up to all night. He seemed to be more stressed lately and shorter with her, losing is temper quicker, but their encounter just now made her think that maybe he was feeling better. He seemed a little more relaxed.

When she reached the building, she started scanning the area. Students from the Day Class liked to sneak in at night in an attempt to snap photos of the Night Class students. This was strictly prohibited for various reasons. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary she did the lap quickly and reached the roof top of one of the buildings attached to the school. They would often meet on the roof as it provided a good vantage point of the forest surrounding the academy as well as a way to look into the building through the windows to make sure the Night Class students were behaving.

Zero was already waiting there for her, hands in his pockets and looking out to the sky. His stance seemed at ease even though she knew he was always on guard. Looking at his face she noticed that even the frown he usually wore was gone. With the night sky as a backdrop and the light from the moon highlighting his silver hair, he actually looked almost happy. When she reached his side, she turned and looking up to the stars as well. A light breeze played at their hair.

* * *

Zero looked at the stars and thought of his next move. He knew the moment she was on the roof top and his body hummed when she approached him. She surprised him when she didn't go straight into her jovial conversation but instead stood by his side to star gaze as well. His arm twitched with the need to grab her by the shoulders and force her into a hug. Instead, he clenched his hand into a fist inside his pocket.

He wanted a real hug, one that she melted into and gave willingly rather than one that was forced by an 'accidental' trip. It suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks and he realized how dense he truly was. All this time he was mentally griping to himself about how she never found any interest in him. How she only ever saw him as a brother figure.

But really, what had he done about it? He always acted as an angry, petulant child with her. They spent the last four years living together with the Chairman, playing games, arguing, doing chores and acting exactly how real brothers and sisters interacted with one another. Had he ever made it clear that he was in love with her and wanted something more than their friendship and kinship? Was there ever a time he pursued her and tried to charm her?

Then again, why would he bother trying when he felt she only ever had eyes for Kaname Kuran. Of course, he was being a dolt to think that even if he made attempts, she'd notice it. She'd probably think he was being extra nice to her and brush it off as nothing more.

"Yuuki." He said her name softly, not wanting to break the comfortable silence but wanting to at least acknowledge her existence.

The breeze turned slightly harsher, cold air riding it's coattail. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a shiver run down her body from the quick change. He turned his head to her and smiled, taking his arm out of his pocket and gently draping it over her shoulders. With a loving squeeze, he held her closer.

"Zero?" she asked quietly.

He rested his chin on her head and whispered, "Just keeping you warm. You'll be fine once we start a second round of patrols." She blushed and nodded. Just then, the sound of a snapping twig from the right side of the building broke the silence of the night. Yuuki lifted her head in the direction it came from and stepped out of his embrace.

"I'll go check it out. You go ahead and start round two of patrols. I'll catch up quickly." And with that, she jumped off the side of the roof, catching a tree branch to break up her descent down and _thumped_ to the ground before running into the forest. Just like that, she was gone from his sight.

* * *

Yes, there truly is cause to be uneasy this night, Kaname thought to himself.

He had been leaning against the window he had opened as he read a book by moonlight. The first thing he noticed was Yuuki's faint scent which meant she had finally arrived at her usual perch; the roof top that was directly below the classes the Night Class used. Just as quickly he noticed Zero's scent, which unfortunately meant he had arrived at the same time. Though something was slightly off as Zero's scent was stronger than Yuuki's. If they had arrived at the same time then their scents should have been the same. Odder yet was the scent of sex and a tinge of blood, though it had been muted by at least a few hour's worth or so of time from the actual act.

Kaname snapped his book shut and looked out the window, his gaze zooming in on Zero who stood there with his back to him, looking completely relaxed. Various thoughts crossed his mind as he wondered why he would smell Yuuki, sex and blood on Zero. For the first time in his life, his body throbbed with an emotion he wasn't entirely familiar with. It made him uneasy.

Not too long afterward, Yuuki had made it on the roof and he watched as she slowly walked up to Zero and stood next to him. The two of them looked up to the sky as if there wasn't a care in the world. To make matters worse, though he couldn't smell blood on her, he could smell the light scent of Zero on her. That wasn't too unusual as they usually were together, but it still unsettled Kaname.

"Yuuki." Kaname heard Zero say her name as if he were caressing it. He watched as Yuuki shivered at her name coming from Zero's lip. He watched as Zero smiled at her and held her, how Yuuki looked up at him and how Zero whispered something to her, making her blush. Kaname tightened his grip on his book, causing the binding to bend.

"What is this?" Kaname whispered to himself. He watched as Yuuki stepped away and ran off to investigate a sound she heard. He already knew her investigation would uncover two students from the Day Class, but that was the least of concerns. His main concern was now staring at him.

Zero looked up directly at Kaname and a slow smile spread across his lips. He lifted two fingers to his forehead and saluted him before jumping off the roof top as well.

The glass in the window in front of Kaname started to crack, creating a lightning strike affect as it splintered without shattering. Anger and jealously rushed through Kaname's veins. If he didn't know any better, he would be inclined to believe that Yuuki—_his_ Yuuki—had slept with Zero. And to add insult to injury, Zero rubbed it in his face.

The window fractured more as Kaname's control started to slip. A dark aura encircled him as he stared at where Yuuki and Zero were just standing. As if the night wasn't already bad enough for him, he could now smell a small amount of Yuuki's fresh blood. She must have hurt herself and he would have to rush to her before someone from the Night Class lost control.

He ground his teeth and threw the book across the room. Pages fluttered and some fell out to litter the room. It smacked against the wall and fell to the ground. With a small growl, he stormed out of the classroom and made his way out of the building and followed Yuuki's blood to find her.

When he reached her location, he heard a gun shot and instantly knew it was Zero's anti-vampire weapon, Bloody Rose. Walking around the last tree, he saw the two Day Class students passed out against each other, Hanabusa looking scared, Akatsuki rubbing his head in thought, and Yuuki holding onto Zero. Why did she have to hold onto him like that? he thought.

At his arrival, Akatsuki shuffled his feet and suddenly found the trees to be fascinating. Hanabusa looked guilty and examined his shoes. Zero glared at him which only made Kaname want to lash out and rip his throat out. Yuuki looked nervously between the two.

"Ah... ah... Kaname, what are you doing here?" she asked. He wondered if she knew he was on to her. Ten years he had waited for her and protected her from the shadows, and this is how it turned out? Hadn't he made it clear in numerous ways how much he loved her?

He had to remind himself that as long as she was happy, it didn't matter what she did or who she did it with. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be livid about it. He further wrapped himself in contradictions. Looking over at the two vampires, Kaname turned back to Yuuki.

"As the Dorm Leader of the Night Class, I will take care of these two. I will also have someone erase the memories of what happened this night from those two girls. I know you'll have your hands full reporting back to the Chairman." He looked down at Yuuki's hand and saw the puncture from Hanabusa's fang.

He tried to remain passive, he really did. Instead, he grabbed Hanabusa by the back of his collar tightly. Hanabusa yelped in surprise. Trees started to creak as their branches swayed violently. Leaves fell heavily to the ground and the wind picked up, whistling through the trees. His eyes remained transfixed on Yuuki's hand as everyone else looked up and around nervously. This was a terrible day for him indeed.

"What a fool," he said to himself almost inaudibly. He questioned himself if Yuuki found him attractive only to have her scent all over Zero and then to be bitten by another vampire. He chuckled lightly. The group lost interest in the sudden change of weather to look at him oddly. It wasn't often that he laughed and less often that anyone heard it.

"Lord Kaname?" Hanabusa tried to crane his head backwards to eye him warily.

Kaname ignored him. "Seiren," he called out. She appeared suddenly as if teleporting from above the trees. She bent to one knee and bowed her head down, awaiting his orders. "Take care of those two girls and escort them back to their dorms with Yuuki and Kiryu, then report back to me."

"Yes, Kaname." She stood and turned to Yuuki and Zero as Kaname turned and walked towards their dormitory, dragging Hanabusa with him and Akatsuki following suit.

When they reached their dorm, the punishment for Hanabusa was administered quickly. Kaname did not want to waste time with the formalities and wanted time alone to think of the day's events. As Seiren had been gone most of the day and had just returned, he anticipated her findings. He entered the bathroom that was attached to his office to get the small box of blood tablets from the counter.

"A week's suspension? That's okay, it was worth." Hanabusa sat in thought, his elbow resting on a knee and his palm cupping his chin. Akatsuki stood a short distance away from him and worriedly looked towards the door that separated them and Kaname.

"Hanabusa, be careful with what you say. Lord Kuran does not seem to be in a pleasant mood tonight," he warned his cousin.

"I'm just saying," Hanabusa continued. "Her blood not only smelled sweet but tasted absolutely delicious. And it was only a few drops! If only I was able to drink from her neck, I'm sure it would have—"

Kaname backhanded him across the face with great force. Hanabusa's head jerked to the side and down as he stared wide-eyed at the carpet, stunned. Blood slowly seeped from the cut on his cheek.

"Excuse me?" Kaname asked with disdain. He raised his hand to lick the blood off his fingers.

"I-I'm sorry, Lord Kaname."

"You'd be wise to remember that you are never permitted to touch her in any way, or any other student while on this campus and under my rule here. If you even think about drinking from Yuuki, if you even unconsciously dream about it, your punishment will not be so light. Now get out of my sight and reflect on your actions."

Hanabusa and Akatsuki left without another word, the door gently closing behind them. Kaname clenched his hand into a fist as he stared out the window to the moon's glowing surface. The tree tops swayed lightly as the wind settled, the night coming to a close. The room filled with a mix of the night's and day's sounds when he opened the window, needing fresh air to try and calm his nerves. Crickets sang with birds in a harmonic symphony. Soon the moon would disappear behind the shadows completely, only to be replaced by the fiery sun.

He kept trying to remind himself that everything he did was for Yuuki's happiness and that should be enough to make him happy. The turn of events this past day made him realize what a fool he really was. It was one thing to wish her to be happy no matter what, and another to deem that he be a part of her life in some sort of occupation other than a distant protector.

There was a knock at the door before it opened and Seiren entered quietly. Moments later she was standing next to him, not making a sound in her approach. She saluted him in her traditional fashion, a fist over her heart and bowing her head in greeting.

"Kaname, I am here to report my findings on Rido." He nodded for her to continue as he walked to his desk and took a seat. She remained at the window, seemingly emotionless as she always appeared and began her report. "His body has regenerated enough to be whole and has entered Japan with his servants as of two days ago, residing within his mansion in Sendai.

Though it appears he does not have the strength to be physically active for long periods of time yet, he is using the downtime when resting to grow his power by networking his spies and agents across the area.

Currently, he is trying to recruit the vampires that hold the same beliefs as him as well as the ones that still hold a grudge against Haruka or were part of the attack ten years ago. The number of followers is still small for a direct attack; however, it is large in comparison to the length of time he has been here.

It appears his main goal is to apprehend Yuuki as she is of age to bed." Kaname sat back in his chair and played with the silver letter opener, embedding the point on the table and twirling it slowly as he listened. The dying moon light occasionally glinted off of it, creating a quick shock of light like an exploding star. "The numerous attempts on Yuuki you and I have stopped throughout the years have been confirmed to have been ordered by Rido. His original goal was to mold her to his liking at a young age.

His secondary objective is to kill you, though I was unable to gain any data on when or how he plans to do so. From the information I have gathered thus far, I predict he will have enough strength to reach his full power, like ten years ago, in approximately one month. Maybe less. Until then, he will continue to increase his army."

Kaname listened quietly until she finished speaking. She gave additional information before being dismissed and he was left alone in his office. Staring at the paper knife, he thought of his next course of action.

Rido had to be stopped, preferably before he was able to do any damage and without Yuuki knowing of his existence. The last thing Kaname wanted at this point was to awaken and alarm Yuuki. She had to remain in the blissfully painful light that she so mimicked. He couldn't drag her down into his world of darkness. Not yet, if ever, and certainly not like this—in a battle with Rido, which would no doubt end in blood and loss of life.

The silver piece of metal made a _thud_ sound as he let go of it and it hit the table. Rising from his seat, he walked back to the window and stared out. It was time to make preparations for the upcoming battle.

* * *

Yuuki had just finished preparing for bed when she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up from the sink where she had brushed her teeth and rinsed her face and stared at herself in the mirror. Something felt off, a sense of impending doom coursing through her veins.

That's strange, she thought to herself. Shrugging it off, she picked up her school uniform—now dressed in her pale green nightgown—and headed to her bedroom. The room was draped in shadows, the only light coming from the morning's twilight the large window that split the room in half permitted.

Yuuki disposed of her uniform and crawled into her own bed, moving the covers and gliding underneath. Laying on her back with one hand raised above her head, her forearm resting on her crown, she stared up at the ceiling in thought. Her mind was flooded with images of Kaname.

She thought of his gentle smile that he always gave to her, the way he made her heart race by just looking at her and how warm her face felt when she flushed. She pictured the way his overgrown fringe would fall into his face and how the deep shade of chocolate brown reached down to his shoulders. His mix of brown and wine colored eyes could leave her breathless, the depths of which made her lose all train of thought.

Her fingers ached to run through his hair and wrap her arms around his back. Yuuki didn't know how long she laid there in thought, but eventually she succumbed to sleep. Kaname didn't leave her then, for he penetrated and invaded even her dreams.

* * *

"Yuuki..." he said in his silky and low voice. Her eyes were tightly shut as the sensation of him resting above her made her overwhelmed. His face was in the crook of her neck, whispering sweetly into her ear and trailing kisses up and down the spans of skin.

They were bare and exposed to each other. She ran her fingers through his sleek hair, loving the feel of it before running her hands down his broad shoulders and back. The feel of his naked skin made her shiver in delight. She smoothed her hands over his bottom and squeezed gently, eliciting a small sound of approval from Kaname.

His weight was rested on his left elbow that was between her shoulder and head. He had his fingers speared through strands of her hair. His right hand caressed her cheek lovingly before it traced down her neck with light, gentle touches that gave her goosebumps. He traced the mound of her left breast with a finger and she waited in anticipation for what he would do next, her breathing becoming more labored. She moaned in frustration when he started to run his hand down her stomach and over to her hip and thigh, completely missing the points she wanted him to touch.

He chuckled at her sense of loss. "Is there something wrong, Yuuki?" he asked as if he didn't already know.

"Kaname, please." she begged him. She opened her eyes to stare into his own, reds swirling and mixing in with his brown.

"Please what? Is there something you want?" He licked her neck before slightly sucking on a spot over a vein. Without breaking the skin, he grazed a fang over it, making her moan again with desire that suddenly overtook her.

"I..." She lost focus temporarily as he moved his hips slightly, rubbing up against her. She felt his hardness brush against her core and her eyes snapped shut as she let out a load moan, muscles clenching tightly and waiting for his next move.

"I love you, Yuuki," he whispered into her ear before he thrust forward and impaled himself in her. At the same time he sunk his fangs into her neck, one hand holding her head in place and the other holding her hip. She screamed out his name in pleasure and her hands shot up to grip his hair.

The pleasure exploded all around her. He filled and stretched her on one end and sucked and stole from her from the other. She panted and moaned at the sensations. He set a fast yet gentle pace as he thrust in and out. Her legs wrapped up around his waist as she tried to buck her hips up to meet him half way.

The feel of his fangs in her neck had started with a strong sting only to be replaced with heated rapture. He took long and deep pulls until he had his full. Pulling his fangs out, he licked and sealed the puncture marks before his lips crashed over hers. They kissed with a frenzied hunger, full of longing and possession, desire and need.

Her hands ran up and down his back, not able to keep still. When he broke the kiss, she panted for air.

"Kaname... Kaname..." she repeated over and over. Sweat glistened their bodies, the sounds of her moans and his groans of pleasure filling the room. The pressure inside kept building, a feeling of being tightly coiled and needing release. She clenched around him as she dug her nails into his back, shaking her head back and forth.

"It's okay, Yuuki. Do it." Kaname whispered in her ear before kissing and licking along the edge of it. "Cum for me." Her breathing was ragged as she continued to shake her head. "Now, Yuuki. Cum for me now." He bit into her neck again as he quickened his pace and thrust into her harder, rubbing against her upper walls and hitting a spot that drove her crazy.

She fell apart in his arms instantly. She yelled out his name once before even making a sound was too difficult to do. The coiled tension in the pit of her stomach unraveled and spread out throughout her body as she did as he demanded.

"Oh, Yuuki..." he moaned as he continued to pound into her. He kissed her cheeks and chin. "Yuuki... Yuuki..." he chanted, before she felt him shudder above her as she was made aware of a new sort of wet sensation deep within her.

* * *

**A/N: Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	4. Chained Pureblood

**A/N: I wish I could personally message every single one of you that reviewed (but most of you are ninjas) to gush over your kindness. Nevertheless, know that I totally geek out and drive my husband crazy as I fangirl and grin like an idiot. So thank you! -Kezzi**

**Whether you're a YuMe or a ZeKi, I respect you. :)**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

"Yuuki, are you okay?" Sayori asked her the next morning as they both dressed for school. Yuuki's face flushed as she recalled her dream.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Your face is red." She placed her hand over Yuuki's forehead and frowned slightly. "You feel warm too. Are you getting sick?"

"Eh? Oh, no. I just didn't sleep well."

"I could tell. I woke up a few times from you moaning in your sleep. Did you have a bad dream?"

Yuuki could feel her face getting warmer in embarrassment as blood pooled in her cheeks. "No, it wasn't bad. I don't remember much of it, actually," she tried to lie.

"Well, if you remember and want to talk about it, let me know, okay?" Sayori turned and grabbed her jacket and bag before exiting the room, waiting for Yuuki in the hallway.

"What about you, Yori?" she asked. "You seemed out cold when I first got back. Did you sleep well?" It was Sayori's turn to blush as she looked down at the ground with a slight smile on her face.

"Actually, I have something I'd like to talk to you about during lunch. Will you meet me under the old tree in the courtyard? Or do you have to meet with Chairman Cross again?"

"No, I'm free during lunch. I met with him last night." They both walked with the crowd of students in the hallway to their classroom. When the bell rang, Yuuki looked up a few rows to see Zero missing. It wasn't unusual for him to cut class. She often found him sleeping the day away somewhere. She sometimes thought he acted more like a vampire than a human when she considered his sleeping habits. If he ever knew she thought that, she was sure he would be upset with her.

"Zero's not here today?" Sayori whispered to her. She looked back at her best friend, noticing the slight look of disappointment in her eyes. Zero and Sayori weren't exactly friends, though she knew Sayori liked him, so the expression piqued her interested.

"It doesn't look like it. He's probably sleeping in the barn like always. Why do you ask?" Yuuki whispered back. The drone of the teacher carried on as he explained things Yuuki couldn't comprehend. What with acting as Perfect after school and doing patrols during the night, she hardly had time to sleep, let alone study.

Sayori gave Yuuki a large smile but did not respond with further details. The mischievous smile portrayed a secret that had Yuuki raising a questioning brow.

"Later, at lunch. That's what I want to talk to you about."

Yuuki nodded and turned her head back to the front of the class, attempting to listen to the teacher and understand at least a fraction of what he was saying.

* * *

"Shizuka, come here." Rido sat on his bed, propped up against pillows covered in deep shades of red and gold. The silk brocaded sheets fluidly ran over his body as he shifted. Heavy, maroon curtains trimmed in golden tassels shaded the room from the unforgiving sun. The soft glow of a dozen candles lit the room, casting flickering shadows along the walls.

Shizuka Hio sat on the floor at the end of the bed. Thickly rich Oriental rugs sprawled all along the room, overlapping one another in various areas. She had sat there in the same position, her knees pulled up to her chest as she hugged her legs, for what seemed like hours. Her body was cold and stiff as she untangled her arms and rose to her feet.

Ever so slowly, she walked around one of the wooden posts and sat on the edge of the bed. Her movements caused the sound of metal scraping against each other to permeate the room.

"Here, Shizuka." Rido pointed to the spot directly next to him. Shizuka crawled across the large bed on all fours until she was next to Rido. She sat in a traditional _Seiza_ position with her hands folded in her lap. Silence filled the room as he stared at her.

The flames from the candles danced across her bruised and bloodied face. She was naked, as he demanded of her when she was in his chambers. The metal collar around her slim neck was securely locked in place. A chain connected to a loop on the collar ran the length of the room but was attached to one of the four bed posts. Her arms and feet were unbound and if she truly wanted to, she could have easily wrapped the long chain around Rido's neck when he slept and killed him.

She never did though. Funny what fear did to you sometimes. The power he had over her took away any and all free will. She remained alive only to act as his living puppet. Since he regained his physical body, he would administer some sort of punishment whether she did anything to deserve it or not. It was his way of exhibiting his power and authority. A way to stroke his own ego.

It was wise to never do or say anything unless he commanded it. Until he gave her further instructions, she would remain seated and silent while staring at the wallpaper covered wall behind the bed. He raised a hand and caressed her cheek.

"You know I don't hurt you because I want to, don't you?" He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. When she remained silent, thinking his question was rhetorical, he moved his hand down to her throat and squeezed tightly. "I asked you a fucking question, Shizuka! I expect a fucking answer!" he shouted into her face.

He squeezed tighter until her face reddened and tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. She remained still, however, fearing him from lashing out further. She desperately wanted to claw at his hands or at least turn her head to the side to loosen his grip.

When he felt satisfied that he made his point, he let go and tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear. Her pink eyes remained fixed on a swirl on the wall as she started coughing. Chapped and cut lips sucked air in as calmly as possible.

"Do I need to repeat my question?" His mood swings were much like a yo-yo. He was calm and gentle one moment and an otherworldly beast the next.

"No, and I know you don't do it on purpose," she replied. He smacked her across the face, adding another cut and bruise to her collection. Not once did she cry out, even when he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back.

"You forgot the appellation," he sneered, his lips hovering over hers, eyes looking down at her with hate.

"No, _Master_," she amended. "You don't hurt me because you want to. I deserve it."

He held on to her a little longer to ensure his point had been made. When he seemed satisfied with her response, he loosened his grip on her hair and ran his hand down the length of it, straightening pieces of the white strands that were matted with dried blood and tangled from not being brushed.

"That's a good girl. I think I'll reward you." He smiled a sickening smile as he grabbed the collar around her neck and yanked down, causing her to fall forward. She held her hands out to catch herself, ending up on all fours again.

He moved a few pillows aside to reveal a metal plate fastened to the thick mahogany headboard. Six rivets held the metal piece sturdy and in place, with a protruding metal hoop that was welded in the center. A few metal links were attached to the hoop with a snap hook connected at the end.

Rido examined the chain attached to Shizuka's collar, running it through his fingers as he thought of the length he desired. Finally settling on an arm's length worth, he grabbed the appropriate link from her chain and fastened it to the snap hook. He deemed himself generous to give her so much slack.

"Now, Shizuka. I'm giving you permission to scream this time. I encourage you to do so, and you better make it good or I wont stop until I'm satisfied. Remain on all fours as you are now. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master."

Leaning down to reach one of the nightstands, he opened and closed drawers until he found the item he was looking for. "After we're done with your reward, I think it's time to get in contact with my bastard son and set things in motion. He's in the perfect position to get details on my prize. I may even let you play with that Kiryu boy you were so fond of years ago."

With a fast and hard swing forward, Rido struck Shizuka's rear with a metal studded riding crop. She yelled out in pain, the area she was hit burning and welting.

"That wasn't good enough, Shizuka. I want to hear you be louder. C'mon, I have faith in you. The sooner you accept your reward, the sooner we can start my plans to get Yuuki to my side." He hit her again, producing a shout from his overused slave.

"Tch, I'm just not feeling it today." He rubbed her bottom gently. "The great thing about us being pureblood, is that you can heal quicker than a normal vampire and I have more stamina." He hit her again, a scream tearing from her throat as he continued to get the same spot. His eyes, one red and one blue, started to glisten with excitement.

"That's more like it!" Another strike. "You see, Shizuka? Yuuki is mine. First Haruka took Juri away from me. And now Kaname thinks he can do the same with Yuuki? No! I'll stop him just like I stopped Haruka!" He hit her again, his heart racing as anger and excitement mingled with one another.

Though Shizuka Hio was a pureblood, she wasn't a Kuran like he and Kaname were. And the reason why Yuuki was so valuable to him? She was the last remaining female pureblood of the Kuran line. Once he got his hands on her, he would awaken her to her vampiric side and take her as his wife. He'd mate with her and continue their powerful bloodline and become the new king over all the other vampires in the world.

* * *

Yuuki stopped in her descent down the stairs and held on to the handrail as she felt another sense of doom run over her spine. Again, she thought. Why was she having this unsettling feeling lately? Trying to shrug it off, she took the last couple of steps that placed her on the landing before the next flight of stairs.

Not really paying attention, she collided with a hard body and almost fell backward. Before she could fall, two strong arms wrapped around her waist and held her upright. Her face was squished to a muscled and broad chest belonging to a tall man. She felt herself flush as she started to apologize, noticing a familiar scent as she pulled away.

"I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." She looked up to notice she ran into Kaname. Her hands rested on his chest as he loosened his grip on her waist but did not let go. Dark chocolate eyes with a shade of carmine bleeding through studied her face and she felt herself getting lost in his gaze. She inhaled deeply, her senses filling with the comforting and nostalgic scent he always had, a combination between his body wash and the freshness of a cool, dewy evening after a storm.

"Are you okay, Yuuki?" His voice was soft and silky as she felt it brush over her. She nodded lightly and stepped away, this time breaking free of his embrace and letting her arms fall to her side.

"Yes, sorry about that. What are you doing here?" She looked around and noticed the stairwell was empty. Alone with Kaname. Still so close to him, she couldn't help but inhale his rich scent again. Last night's dream rushed into her mind and she blushed profusely. She turned her head away in embarrassment. He could never find out how she felt or what she dreamed of. He was on a different level from her entirely.

What was she to him? Kaname was always nice to her, but she felt he was nice to everyone. He was the one that saved her from a crazed _Level E_ vampire ten years ago, the start of her memories and life. Originally, she felt uneasy around him as he was also a vampire. As time went by, she became fond of him, enjoyed his visits to the house when he met with the Chairman and always looked forward to the next time she could see him. Eventually, that led to her being aware of how much she had fallen in love with him.

But he was Kaname Kuran, a powerful pureblood vampire of great importance. He was royalty. What was she? A lowly human girl with nothing special about her. To put herself on the same level as him and entertain the thoughts of them being together was foolish.

"I'm here to meet with the Chairman. I was on my way up. What are you doing?" His voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Oh... class is out for lunch and I was going to meet with Yori under the old oak tree." She played with the sleeve of her shirt as she fidgeted, wanting to escape his presence before he found out about her dream.

"Yuuki, are you okay?" he asked with slight concern.

"Okay? Yes, why?" She stared at her shoes.

"Why wont you look at me? Are you afraid of something?" She could feel tension filling the air and his voice tighten. He's going to find out, she thought. To appease him enough not to continue getting suspicious, she looked up at him and gave him a quick, short smile before turning away and walking around him.

"No, no, everything's fine. I just don't want to be late for lunch and not have a chance to eat before the bell rings. I'll see you later!"

* * *

One step was all she was able to take before Kaname grabbed her by the wrist gently to stop her. He noticed that she was acting strangely, the way she kept averting her eyes and that her heart was racing. With the events that took place yesterday he had driven himself mad with the possibilities of what could have occurred. He wanted to know what had happened between her and Zero and he wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

"Wait, Yuuki. There's something I want to tell you." He watched the back of her head and the way her shoulders tensed. The grip she had on the handrail tightened slightly. "Won't you look at me?" He kept his voice calm but inside he was getting angrier by the minute.

She couldn't even look at him when he spoke with her? Did she feel that high and mighty after sleeping with Zero that she felt she could disregard him completely? What of the relationship they had built over the past ten years? The thought of Zero asking her to never speak to him again out of jealously crossed his mind. He'd have to snip that idea from her head before it infected the rest of her.

"Well, if you wont look at me then at least give me the honor of listening." He waited a moment more and was going to continue when he saw her chest rise and fall as if taking a deep breath. She turned to face him. Did she really need to prepare herself just to have a conversation with him? The hand holding her wrist twitched, wanting to clamp down and drag her away. Lock her up somewhere and keep her hidden and to himself forever.

"Yes, Kaname?" She stared out the window in the stairwell as if examining the variations of clouds.

"I want to let you know, again, that no matter what happens I am always here for you. I always will be. You're my dear, precious girl. You can tell me anything, you know. Anything at all." He raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. Yuuki's face further reddened as her blush deepened.

"Um, I know and I appreciate it." She tugged her hand out of his grip and smiled at him, though he could see through her effort to make it look normal. "Zero skipped class again so I have to go find him before lunch is over." She turned to step away before he stopped her again.

"Have lunch with Wakaba or find Kiryu?"

"Eh?"

"You said you were having lunch with Sayori Wakaba. Now you're saying you need to... _find_ Zero Kiryu. Which is it?" He barely bit back his temper. The sounds of laughter from below echoed up the staircase, breaking the tension between the two.

Yuuki snatched the opportunity the distraction created and started descending the stairs. "Gotta go, thanks!"

He ground his teeth together and clenched both hands into fists as he watched her disappear. Maybe it was time he took a more direct approach.

"The Chairman can wait," he said to no one in particular as he counted to a hundred to calm his nerves before going to find Yuuki.

* * *

Yuuki ran from Kaname as fast as she could. The idea of him finding out what she dreamt about almost gave her a heart attack. Following the little twitches in his hand and at the corner of one eye, she could tell he was getting angry at her for keeping a secret from him. She just couldn't fathom telling him and in the midst of being flustered from his kiss, her mind fumbled and out came the lie about finding Zero.

She dashed out through the front doors and made a beeline for the courtyard that held the large oak tree she and Sayori enjoyed eating lunch under. The afternoon sun was bright and warm and calmed her nerves a bit.

It wasn't that vampires couldn't be out in the sun. Few were able to handle it without any adverse effects, though most found it draining of their energy and power and painful to the eyes. This was something that could be used to her advantage. With the sun high in the sky and the meeting he had to attend with the Chairman, Kaname would be busy and she could gather herself before seeing him again.

Students milled about and many were in small groups as they ate their lunches together and talked amongst themselves. The oak tree they typically ate under had branches that reached up to the sky. It's full set of leaves created a shaded canopy to sit under. The occasional furred acorns that fell were always a fascinating topic to converse about as they found them strange looking and large in size.

Yuuki found Sayori already seated and waiting for her, chopsticks in hand as she ate from her bento quietly. She jogged the rest of the way and dropped down next to her best friend in a flourish. A second bento box was next to Sayori, waiting for Yuuki. She picked it up, opened it and dug in.

"You finally made it. I was wondering what happened to you." Sayori finished her food and put her belongings away in her bag. "What took you so long?"

"Ugh!" Yuuki started. "The teacher held me back to lecture me about my horrible grades." She lowered her voice to mimic their teacher. "'I understand you're a Perfect. You're probably busy but you need to do your school work. What are you going to do after school is done and you're not passing?' Can you believe that?"

"Well, it's true though. Do you plan to stay at the academy after you graduate and remain as a Perfect for the future Night Class members? You gonna do it until you're a granny?" Sayori asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. After that I ran into Kaname so that held me up too."

"Yeah? And how is your sexy, little Kaname?" Sayori leaned forward with a knowing smirk. Yuuki blushed lightly and ate some rice.

"Shut up. It's not like that. It was embarrassing!"

"Why? You've known him forever. Why don't you make some moves already or something?"

"I couldn't possibly do that. He doesn't think of me that way," Yuuki huffed.

"You must be retarded. That's why you're failing, not because you're busy being a Perfect." Sayori crossed her arms across her chest in exasperation.

"I am not retarded! Now enough about me, what did _you_ want to talk about?"

It was Sayori's turn to blush as she became excited and sat forward, grabbing the bento from Yuuki and placing it on the ground before turning back and holding her hands. Yuuki stared at her best friend in complete bewilderment. She hadn't seen Sayori this enthusiastic about anything.

"Well, you know how I've been crushing on Zero, right?" she began. Yuuki nodded her head slowly. "So last night, he pretty much confessed to me!" Yuuki squealed and bounced on her thighs, pulling Sayori forward in a hug.

"That's awesome! I'm so happy for you! What did he say? What did you do? When? Where? Tell me all the details!" The torrent of questions rushed out of Yuuki.

"I know, I know! He came to our room last night and kissed me, then said he'd been wanting to do that for a long time."

"So that's why he seemed to be in a good mood last night. What else happened?"

"Well, I didn't really confess back or anything. I mean, I did tell him I found him attractive but... we ended up... you know." She couldn't finish her sentence just yet.

Yuuki stared at her in slight confusion, cocking her head to the side in thought. "You ended up what?"

"You know..." Sayori prompted again.

"I know what?" She squinted her eyes in further thought. "Oh! I know! You guys decided to go out! That's great, Yori. I'm really happy for you."

"No, no, no. I mean, well, we didn't really go over the details like that. Actually, we didn't talk much at all." The realization made her sad. "But I'm hoping I can catch him tonight after classes and before you two have to do patrols."

"So, if you didn't talk, then what did you do?"

"It!" She couldn't believe how dense her friend could be at times. "We did it!"

"You guys did it?" Yuuki eyed her roommate.

"Yes!"

"Oh, I see. You guys kissed, but you already said that."

"No, Yuuki. That's not what I mean by 'it'. I mean, _it_."

"Hugged."

"No."

"Played Yahtzee?" she guessed again.

"Yuuki! We had sex! Sex, okay?! Sex! Zero and I had sex!" Sayori threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. Yuuki stared at her wide eyed.

"You... and Zero... had... sex?" she asked. She watched as Sayori nodded and then started grinning. "Oh my gosh, Yori! How was it? I don't want the details about him, ew! I mean for you!"

"Well!" Sayori repositioned herself to rest her back against the trunk of the tree. "Actually, it was really sudden and it hurt a lot at first." She looked down at her hands in her lap as she picked at her nails. "I mean, _really_ painful. But after a little bit it felt really good and... I had my first orgasm!" She covered her face with her hands.

"Whoa. How was it?"

"Oh Yuuki, it was amaaazing. I've never felt anything like it before. It's really intense and different and then you just explode. And then afterward you feel so relaxed, like you've been tense your whole life without knowing."

"Woooow..." Yuuki thought out loud. "That explains why Zero was gone for so long. Then, can I tell you a secret? It's really humiliating though!"

Sayori sat up and stared at her. "Don't tell me you've had sex and you never told me! I will be really upset!"

"S-sex? No! I haven't! I... had a dream."

"That the nation will rise up and live out it's creed's true meaning?" *****

Yuuki stared at her in utter confusion. "What the hell does that mean?"

Sayori sighed. "Never mind, no wonder you're flunking. Anyway, what was your dream?"

Yuuki eyed her suspiciously a moment before continuing. "I had a dream that Kaname and I... had sex." She stared at her best friend's hazel eyes, waiting for some sort of response. When nothing but silence greeted her, she nudged at Sayori's leg. "Yori? Did you hear me?"

"Well, this is awkward."

"What?"

"You woke me up because you were moaning in your sleep, remember? That's... really awkward."

"Oh my God!" Yuuki shrieked, leaning forward and covering Yori's mouth with her hands. "Shut up! Don't say that!" They both giggled a moment and readjusted themselves.

"Are you ever going to tell Kaname how you feel? Or at least tell him you had the dream and want to act some of it out?"

"No way, I can't do that. He's Kaname freakin' Kuran!"

"I really think you should. But moving along, was the dream good? Because it sounded good on my end." Yuuki threw her a threatening glare that she returned with a grin.

"You had sex with Zero! I'm sure the real thing is nothing compared to a dream!" Yuuki retorted loudly, upset at being picked on.

"Whoa! Don't yell 'you had sex with Zero'!" Sayori exclaimed as she looked from side to side. "Someone might hear you, jeez. So anyway, are you going to tell Kaname?" She tried to redirect the conversation back to Yuuki's dream and her feelings. After being roommates for years, she was disappointed she wasn't able to get Yuuki to admit her feelings for the Night Class Dorm Leader.

"Absolutely not! Kaname, under no circumstances, must ever find out!" Yuuki thought of the way her heart raced and her stomach knotted when she thought of Kaname. How she would get flustered and anxious. She felt as if the whole world darkened and the only light that could be seen would emanate from Kaname, and that feeling scared her. "Ugh, I feel sick just thinking about him."

There was a sharp gust of wind that blew their hair into their faces. Yuuki scrambled to grab her bento box before it flew away as Sayori held down her skirt.

"Whoa, what was that?" Sayori asked. She glanced over at her friend and noticed the look of sheer panic across her paled face. "Yuuki? What's wrong?" When Yuuki didn't respond, her eyes transfixed on something past the tree, she turned to look in the same direction.

Directly behind them stood an extremely angry looking Kaname.

* * *

**A/N: * Sayori's quote is from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Had a Dream" speech.**

******A few notes:  
********Rido - creepy, inorite?!  
********Yuuki - dense, why are you a main character?!  
****************Sayori - you poor thing, just wait for it.  
********Kaname - worst timing eva, brutha. Fist bump.****************  
**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	5. Always Interrupted

**A/N: So apparently I stayed up hella late last night to finish chapter 5. Enjoy... or don't. Either way, I'm going back to sleep. Or drowning in the shower.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Kaname had decided that once he was calm enough, he would bare the sun's glare and go outside to look for Yuuki. He had to get the details from her about what happened yesterday so he could move on. Repeatedly, he told himself that regardless of what she said, whether he was being paranoid for no good reason or if she really did give herself up to someone else, he would still love and protect her. Besides, the quicker he got this behind him, the quicker he could put all his concentration toward Rido.

He left the school's front doors much like he imagined Yuuki did. The glaring sun made him squint in pain and raise his arm to shield his eyes. He wasn't sure if she was indeed having lunch with Sayori or if she had gone out to search for Zero. With only two options to choose from, he decided he would check if she were with Sayori first before having to smell or look at that repulsive lower being.

He had always kept tabs on Zero's whereabouts. After all, it was his job as the pureblood vampire to know where and what all the vampires on campus were doing. Zero was a vampire, no matter how much he ignored it and tried to suppress his vampire side. Of _course_ he would have someone keep an eye on Zero. It had nothing to do with his obvious jealousy. Really, nothing at all.

Yuuki had mentioned the old oak tree in one of the courtyards. He knew of the location, it was just past the only fountain on campus grounds, and he surmised he made the right choice when he picked up her faint scent.

Once he reached the tree, he saw that the two women were sitting on the opposite side causing their backs to face him. When he approached, it wasn't his intention to sneak up on them or be silent. He was just an agile creature and was used to not making sounds. For the first time in his life, he wished he were deaf, for the things he heard made him want to rip his own heart out of his chest.

"Whoa, don't yell you had sex with Zero! Someone might hear you, jeez!" He heard Sayori say with slight annoyance. Kaname grabbed his shirt over his heart as a sharp pain sliced through him. "So anyway, are you going to tell Kaname?"

He watched as the woman he loved crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she jutted her chin out and proclaimed, "Absolutely not! Kaname, under no circumstances, must ever find out! Ugh, I feel sick just thinking about him."

Her words instantly tore through his useless heart. On one hand, he wanted to crumble into a million pieces and die a thousand deaths, as that would no doubt have been less painful. On the other, absolute fury fused through his veins that his once sweet and innocent girl would turn out like this. Surely she was aware of how he felt for her, and for her to completely ignore it and not even have the courtesy to tell him outright that he wasn't welcome in her life was selfish and unacceptable.

As such, he recognized he had a reoccurring theme when it came to Yuuki these past forty-eight hours. Her words made his insides churn and his emotions go haywire, causing him to lose some of his control over his powers. If he wasn't careful, he could easily destroy everything around him.

Before he could clamp down on his emotions and tighten the reigns on his power, some of it did slip, whipping around him and causing the wind to speed by harshly as the temperature surrounding him dropped slightly. The two chatting girls stopped, Sayori questioning the sudden change and Yuuki staring directly at him.

She look unquestionably terrified to see him standing there. No doubt she knew he heard her, no doubt he knew that the look on his face looked frightening; sure his eyes had turned from their usual brown to a stark, crimson shade.

The only thing that could have made the situation worse was if Zero Kiryu appeared.

"Zero!" Sayori yelled out.

Kaname knew he had sins to atone for. He knew he wasn't worthy of passing through pearly, white gates when he died. He was certain that what he deserved was a chariot engulfed in flames being pulled by demon horses to take him to the depths of Hell. What he didn't know was what exactly had been the turning point for Fate to find every opportunity to make his life harder and more miserable. No sooner had he wished to not see Zero at that moment, did said person arrive.

"I knew I felt trouble," Zero stated while reaching into his uniform jacket and pulling out Bloody Rose.

"Zero, don't!" Yuuki jumped in front of him with her arms held out to her sides. "Don't be stupid, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Look behind you, Yuuki. You're standing between me and a monster. Can't you feel it? How does this shit not give you the goosebumps? Now step back and get out of my way. I'm going to end this miserable pureblood once and for all."

Kaname laughed. Not for the first time, the surrounding party stared at him strangely. His laugh did not reflect that of happiness but of someone who had finally snapped and lost it.

"End me, you say? You think you can end me, Kiryu?" Kaname sneered at him. "I think it's about time I put you in your place."

"Wait!" Yuuki shouted before anyone could flinch. She held her hand out to him to halt. The bells indicating their lunch break was over chimed in the background. No one paid any attention to it. "Kaname, please. Calm down."

"You want me to calm down? Do you have any idea how hard it is to calm down when I hear you say those things?!" He stepped forward and grabbed Yuuki's bicep and tugged her close to him, leaning down to be face-to-face with her. "Do you have any idea just what you do to me?"

"Ow! Kaname, you're hurting me."

"Let her go!" Zero yelled at the same time.

"Let's... just go somewhere and talk, okay?" she pleaded. "Zero, take Yori and go back to class."

"There's no way in hell I'm leaving without you," Zero snapped.

"It's fine, she knows what she's doing and you can trust Kaname." Sayori grabbed Zero's gun arm and tried to lower it. "Let's leave them. They have some things they need to clear up and I have something I need to talk to you about as well."

"No," Zero refused. "I'm not leaving unless Yuuki comes with me or I kill Kuran."

"You never learn your place, do you, Kiryu?" Kaname asked, sounding like his normal calm self but feeling anything but.

"You keep talking about knowing my place. How 'bout I show you yours?" Zero tightened his grip on Bloody Rose. "Move Yuuki."

Kaname stared at him and exerted a small amount of his power, concentrating it directly on Zero. Zero's angry eyes faltered slightly as his extended arm began to tremble. The trembling turned into noticeable shaking as his arm started to jerk and move until the gun was pointed at his own temple.

Zero stared at Kaname with palpable hatred. His arm continued to shake as his finger twitched over the trigger. With all his might, Zero fought for control over his body to only fail.

"Kaname, please," Yuuki begged. "Please don't do it." Unshed tears lined her lashes as she stared up at him, her one shoulder raised as he still held on to her arm. After all this, it shouldn't have surprised or hurt him that she would cry for Zero and beg for him. But it did.

"Get out of my sight, Kiryu. I suggest you leave as well, Wakaba." Sayori nodded and grabbed Zero's free arm, tugging him in the direction of the school. Zero jerked and stumbled as he continued to try and remain in place. He was able to lower his arm to return the gun to it's holster before being seen by the other students.

* * *

Yuuki watched her friends leave and didn't turn to Kaname until they were completely out of sight. She was left alone with a pureblood vampire who was not in complete control of himself. That didn't bother her though, for no matter how upset Kaname got, she knew she could trust him and be safe with him. Zero, on the other hand, she was sure would not receive the same treatment. Taking a deep breath, she finally turned to look up at him.

His eyes were still a molten red and she could feel and taste his anger. He was staring at her with hard, unwavering eyes. She wasn't exactly sure why he was furious, nor did she know just how much of the conversation he heard. Maybe he was disgusted with her for having such dirty thoughts of him.

"We need to talk, Yuuki." His words were as hard as his stare.

She should have realized he'd never feel the same way about her as she did for him. This only confirmed it. Just as she thought previously, he was on a completely different level than her. He must have always seen her as a little girl that needed protecting, nothing more. She concluded he'd been insulted by her thoughts; appalled that someone of such low ranking such as herself would ever dream of being with him.

He swiftly ran his hand down her arm and grabbed her wrist instead. Holding on tightly, he turned and started walking at a fast pace toward the Moon Dormitory. Yuuki stumbled slightly here and there as she tried to walk quickly to keep up.

Students stared at them oddly and leaned into each other to whisper to one another. Crowds quieted to gawk as they passed them. When they entered the Moon Dormitory, every vampire in the large foyer turned to look at her being dragged by their leader.

* * *

"Kaname?" Takuma stepped away from Senri and Rima to stand in front of his Dorm Leader. "What's going on?"

"No one is to disturb me today, do you understand? I don't care if the world around us crumbles and falls apart, I have things I need to take care of with Yuuki. If there is a problem then I expect you and Seiren to handle it yourselves."

"Uh, of course. Is everything alright?" He looked nervously between Kaname and his hand around Yuuki's wrist, noting the anger etched into his face. "Are you okay, Yuuki?"

"And why would you think she's not?" Kaname snapped. "Mind your own business, Ichijo." He pulled Yuuki forward and ascended the large steps to the second floor.

Takuma was dumbfounded by Kaname's actions. He turned and looked at the crowd of vampires staring up to the second story balcony, following their leader's retreating figure. There was a mix of worry and curiosity humming through the air. The majority of them had never seen Kaname as anything but calm and indifferent.

He knew that Kaname had been in love with Yuuki for at least ten years. He often went with him on his visits to Chairman Cross's estate but always stayed in the car. Each time, on their way to the house, Kaname would seem tense and worried. And each time, after the visit and on their way home, he would always have a small smile.

They had grown up together. He had known Kaname his entire life and after Kaname's parents passed away, the Ichijo family had taken him in. Not once had he ever seen Kaname act the way he did. He never lost his temper and he had never treated Yuuki in such a way.

Something must have happened to set him off. The only thing, or rather the only person, that Takuma could think of that would elicit such a response out of Kaname was Yuuki. He'd have to get to the bottom of what happened and see if there was anything he, as his friend, could do. He only hoped that Yuuki would be okay.

Turning back to the crowd of vampires murmuring to one another, he clapped a few times and smiled greatly.

"Alright, ladies and gentleman! The show is over. Let's stop wasting time standing around and do something productive! Who wants to have a tea party? I'll be the host!" He looked around happily and noted some people backing away slowly. Others quickly nodded their head 'no' and ran out the room.

He returned to Senri and Rima's side and patted Senri on the back.

"It doesn't look like anyone is interested in another one of your tea parties," Rima noted.

"I don't get it. Why not? They're always fun!"

"The last time you had one, you made everyone make a human pyramid while forcing them to hold their cup of tea. And if someone dropped their cup or spilled their tea, you put them in charge of cleaning up after the party. You made a huge mess. I don't think it was fun for any of them except you." Rima leaned against Senri.

"Well, I thought it was a great idea and a good way for everyone to bond!" Takuma huffed.

"The one before that, you made it a horror movie theme where the tea was flavored blood," she continued.

"What's wrong with blood? We're vampires!" he retorted.

"The blood was from animals and it was spoiled. Who would want to drink that while being chased by you wielding a knife and wearing a hockey mask while groaning? And the one before that, y—"

"Anyway," Takuma changed the subject and turned to Senri, "I wanted to tell you that you had a phone call earlier, right before Kaname came in."

"Oh? Who called this early in the day?" he asked. Rima took out a stick of Pocky and fed it to Senri.

"Your mother's maid called and said that you were needed back at your estate as soon as possible. She didn't sound worried about your mother, so it must be the usual." He watched Senri sigh slightly.

"Alright, I'll go pack a bag. Thanks Takuma." He hugged his friend before turning to leave.

Rima stopped him. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," Senri shook his head. "This is something that only her bastard son can do. Thanks though." He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on her lips before climbing up the stairs.

* * *

Kaname opened the door to his room, pulled Yuuki through and slammed it shut behind them. He walked to the center of the room before letting her go. Running his fingers through his hair in frustration, he exhaled heavily.

Yuuki was rubbing at her wrist and staring at him nervously. He felt horrible for being rough with her and wanted nothing more than to take away her pain. Perhaps if he disappeared from her life then it would be better for her.

She seemed to brace herself as she inhaled deeply. Straightening her shoulders, she stared directly at him and finally spoke.

"You're acting really strange, Kaname. I think I know why, but I'm not a hundred percent sure."

"Oh, you _think_ you know why?" He was amazed. How could she not know exactly why he was so caustic?

She narrowed her eyes at him slightly before continuing, "What is your problem? And why were you acting that way towards Zero? I know you don't like him but you're usually more civil than that. You almost killed him!"

"Zero? Zero? Is that all you're worried about, Yuuki? Kiryu's well being?"

"Of course I'm worried about his well being! He's my friend and I care about him!"

"And what is that supposed to mean, exactly? Just what is Kiryu to you?"

He started pacing, slowly putting distance between them. It reminded her of a wild, restless and caged animal who desperately wanted a way out to attack its master.

"What do you mean? He's my friend, I love him. I've known him for years and we're always together."

He stopped pacing to gape at her, his arms taut at his sides with clenched fists. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?" he bit out. A standing mirror in a corner of the room splintered instantly. "You _love_ him?"

"Ye-yes, of course." The look in his eyes frightened her and she took a step back.

He took a step forward.

"You've known him for years so you love him. Don't make me laugh, Yuuki. Haven't _I_ known you for years?" She took another step back, he followed.

"Kaname..."

"Did you sleep with Kiryu?"

"What? Why would you a—"

"Did you have sex with Zero or not?!" he shouted, infuriated.

She flinched and quickly took several more steps back before the softness of his comforter brushed against the back of her legs. He took but a few long strides and was directly in front of her. Instinctively trying to get away from him and his anger, but not having anywhere else to go, she fell backward onto the bed.

Her skirt rode up slightly, her shirt moved up to reveal some of her stomach. He placed one leg in between hers and leaned forward. One hand braced himself up on his bed near her head as he loomed over her. The other shot out to grab her by the chin so he could force her to stare at him.

"Did you sleep with him or not? It's a simple answer, isn't it? Yes or no, that's all you have to say. So why wont you answer me?" His voice cracked with his last question.

He looked into her wide eyes, rimmed with fresh tears. Her face was flushed and her skin was warm as her heart pounded frantically against her rib cage. He could smell her worry and fear. It sickened him to be the cause of it and he hated himself for it.

The smell of her fast pumping blood wafted up to him and stirred his inner beast and hunger. Despite all his anger and frustration, he couldn't deny that she still drove him mad with lust and desire. He closed his eyes tightly as his brows furrowed from the painful storm of emotions. He'd been thirsty for so long. Thirsty for so many things.

"Have I not shown you throughout all these years, through my actions and with my words, that _I_ love you, Yuuki?" he continued.

She left her hands limp on the bed as she was forced to stare up at him. He wondered what she was thinking and wished, not for the first time, to be able to read her mind. His lips parted slightly as he panted, trying to calm himself to stop from further frightening her. Her gaze slipped down to his lips, noting the tips of his fangs peeking through.

"No," she whispered. A single tear slipped out of the corner of her left eye and slid down her temple, disappearing into her hair.

"What do you mean 'no'? No, you didn't sleep with him or no, I haven't shown you how much I love you?"

He could feel her moist breath on his fingers as she breathed heavily. His eyes darted down to her full, slightly pouty lips. The desire to kiss her and taste her was so strong. So close, her mouth was so close to his that all he had to do was lean down and he could steal her breath away. Instead, he lowered his forehead to hers and closed his eyes again. His hand released her chin and cupped the side of her face and neck, his fingers forking through her hair.

"No, I—"

There was a loud pounding on the door, interrupting Yuuki from whatever she was about to tell him. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to the direction of the noise, his forehead still resting on hers. With a low growl, he stood up suddenly, releasing Yuuki from her cage in the process, and stormed toward the offensive piece of wood.

He was ready to kill who ever was behind the door. Hadn't he made himself clear he wanted no interruptions? With a crushing grip on the handle, he twisted it and swung the door wide open. Takuma stood there with a frown marring his usually cheerful face.

Leaning around Kaname, Takuma looked into the bedroom and saw Yuuki laying on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. Appearing as if he were relieved she was unharmed, he turned his attention back to Kaname.

Kaname ground his teeth. Did Takuma really think he would hurt Yuuki? What kind of a monster did he think he was?

"Apparently you're not very good at listening to instructions."

"Well, you see... I heard you but there's a problem."

"What part of 'you and Seiren take care of it' was unclear?"

"That's not it, Kaname. You really need to address this matter. I need to speak with you privately about, you know..." He didn't want the chance of Yuuki overhearing the news.

Kaname dropped his hand from the handle and turned to look at his love. Though he still had conflicting emotions of displeasure and hunger, he had to put their conversation on hold. The only thing that his old friend would interrupt him for now was if something concerning Rido came up.

He had to protect Yuuki from Rido. If it was up to Kaname, he would make sure she didn't know he even existed.

"Give me a moment." Before Takuma could answer, Kaname slammed the door in his face. When he turned back to Yuuki, he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed while slightly rubbing at her wrist again.

Shame flooded through him. Didn't he constantly say he didn't want harm to come to her? What was the point if only to have him be the one to inflict it? Maybe Takuma was right to check in on her.

With deliberately slow steps, he walked up to her so as not to frighten her any further. When he reached the bed, he knelt in front of her and took her wrist in his hands. Gently, he raised it to his lips and kissed where he had pulled her from, letting some of his power to soothingly wash over the area.

Yuuki sighed softly as the pain in her wrist disappeared. Some of the tension she had felt left her as she stared into his caramel colored eyes. She could tell he was considerably calmer and so no longer feared his unpredictability. He had never lost his temper with her and seeing this new side of him scared her.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki." He shook his head and looked down at her wrist, rubbing little circles with his thumb on the back of her hand. Strands of his silky hair fell over his face to cover his eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She stared at his sorrowful face and watched as he let her hand go and stood.

"There is an urgent matter I need to attend to. Please, stay here and wait for me. There's still much we need to discuss." He looked her over once more, trying to etch everything about her into his mind. The soft, thin curve of her brows to her large brown eyes, to her perfect little nose and plump lips. With a heavy sigh, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Takuma was waiting for him in the hallway with Ruka and Seiren. He led the trio away from his bedroom and entered his office. Seiren stood next to his chair after he took a seat. Ruka was scowling and stayed close to the room's entrance, leaning her back against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Takuma stood in front of Kaname's desk.

"Ruka, please send for Aidou," Kaname requested. She nodded once and left. He turned back to Takuma. "What happened?"

"You missed your appointment with Chairman Cross."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. What does that have to do with Rido?" The Chairman had suddenly called early that morning requesting to see Kaname. He was already awake for the day, so the early call did not bother him.

Takuma hesitated a moment. "He received a package earlier today. That's why he called suddenly to meet with you. But when you didn't show up, he became concerned. I think he's looking for Yuuki and Kiryu right now to be on alert."

"What was in the package?" Kaname asked.

"A note." Takuma handed Kaname a copy of the note he had scribbled down when speaking with the Chairman over the phone. Kaname took it and unfolded it, reading it quickly.

_For every day that I don't get what's mine, another will fall victim to your selfishness.  
How does it feel to be helpless, my little nephew?_

_Lovingly,  
Your Uncle – Rido_

Kaname re-read the words once more. "Was there anything else in the package or just this note?"

"There was." Takuma looked over at Seiren, turned back to make sure the door was closed and then met Kaname's eyes. He placed both hands flat on the table and leaned in, lowering his voice to ensure no one walking by in the hallway could hear. "It was attached to the severed head of a Day Class student."

* * *

**A/N: ****Regarding the usage of names: As you can see, I'm not using the Japanese honorifics (-san, -sama, -senpai, etc etc blah blah wubwubwub) simply because it's not English. I know the English language doesn't have the equivalent and some of the meaning gets lost in translation, but I've never understood why manga/anime would translate Japanese into... Japanese. As experienced/seasoned people, we know the meaning and move on. But for new people to read, "Where is Onii-san and Onee-san? sob sob kyaa" is like... I don't know, just stupid. Where is what? Who? Huh?**

**The only thing I'm keeping similar is the use of last names versus first names (that's why you notice switches in dialogue and non-dialogue). First names are usually only used when the two people are close to one another.**

**Longest A(e.i.o.u.)N ever. It wont happen ever again, I don't think, probably not, maybe, sorta, kinda. Sorry!**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	6. Unexpected Allies

**A/N: This chapter was extremely difficult for me to write because... I super glued all my fingers together on accident.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Ruka walked down the long corridor until she reached Hanabusa and Akatsuki's room. She stood outside of it and contemplated what she wanted to do and if she should proceed or not. If Kaname found out about her plans he would be disappointed in her and punish her. He may even kill her.

Was it worth it to her? It had to be. The thought of him spending so much time and getting attached to a human girl like Yuuki sickened her. Yuuki wasn't good enough for him. Hell, she wasn't even a vampire! What good could come of their relationship? His interest in the human made no sense.

She raised her hand to knock on the door. Before she could, it opened to reveal Akatsuki standing there. His orange hair was damp as he rubbed at the back of his head with a white towel, part of it draped around his neck. His purple shirt was unbuttoned to reveal his chest and abs. Bare feet peeked out from the hem of his pants, tightened in place around his waist by a drawstring.

"Ruka." His low and deep voice greeted her. She looked up at him and noticed his amber eyes scanning her face. His love for her was obvious but unrequited. The love in her heart was reserved for only Kaname.

"Hello, Kain. Kaname sent me to get Aidou."

He nodded and ushered her in. The luxurious room was clearly split in two by their personalities. Akatsuki's side was tidy and neat, Hanabusa's was cluttered from floor to ceiling with little knick knacks. Any free surface had some sort of broken glass, shoe or bent utensil.

The little blonde was still sleeping in his bed with the blanket over his head. Akatsuki kicked the frame and shook the bed.

"Oi, Hanabusa. Wake up." His cousin groaned and mumbled in response. "Hey, I said wake up."

Hanabusa threw the blanket down and lazily turned to him with a pout. "Why are you waking me up? It's still early and I'm tired. Go away!" Cocooning himself in the warmth of his covers, he shut his eyes and turned his back on the two intruders.

"Aidou, do you really want to sleep?" Ruka crossed an arm over her stomach and held her elbow.

"Duuhh..." he mumbled.

"Even if I was sent here to get you by Kaname? Do you really want to make him wait and disappoint him?"

With that, Hanabusa flung the covers off of him and jumped out of his bed. The sleep was completely gone from his face and replaced with shinning eyes and a big grin. He made a fist and held it up in the air.

"My Lord Kaname needs me!" He turned to Akatsuki and Ruka. "Shoo, shoo, get out of my way. I need to get ready!" With a dash to his closet, he grabbed a few articles of clothing and slammed the bathroom door shut behind him. In just a couple of minutes, he was out and dressed in his Night Class uniform. Without turning back to his cousin and fellow classmate, he ran out of the room.

"Well, good bye to you too," Akatsuki mumbled. He turned to Ruka. "What was that about?"

"I have no clue. There's something going on but Kaname isn't saying a word. Why can he confide in others and not me? Why won't he just trust me?"

Akatsuki sighed, draped an arm over her shoulders and nudged her. "I'm sure he trusts you. Don't try so hard, okay? You should do things that make you happy, not make you worry. I'm always here for you if you need me."

"I know." She contemplated her plan again. When she thought of Yuuki in Kaname's bedroom, any uncertainty she felt left her. Now all she needed to do was find a grouchy Day Class student with a grudge.

* * *

"Let go of me."

"No, not until you calm down."

"Wakaba, I said let me go!" Zero snatched his arm away from Sayori. She stopped in her tracks and opened her mouth in shock. He scowled and huffed as he looked in the direction they had come from. They were just past the fountain and behind one of the buildings. The area was deserted as all the students had returned to their classes.

"You... you can call me Sayori, you know. I mean, after last night... it's okay." Her cheeks darkened slightly at the thought of it.

"Sayori, fine. Whatever." He turned from her and started down the path they had just taken, intent on going back to the tree to see if Yuuki and Kaname were still there. Sayori ran ahead of him and stopped in front of him.

"Z-Zero, why are you being so cold? We need to talk about what happened yesterday. And stop worrying so much about Yuuki. She's fine with Kaname, he'd never hurt her."

"Are you an idiot?" He gave her a stern stare and grabbed her shoulders. "You're one of the only humans at Cross Academy that knows the truth about the Night Class. And you also know that Kuran is not just a regular vampire but a pureblood." He shook her. "How could you possibly think that Yuuki is okay with him?"

Sayori searched his silver eyes for any emotion other than the anger and contempt she saw. She suddenly felt exposed and insecure. Tears threatened to overcome her will power as her throat constricted.

"You're so worried about Yuuki but what about me? We... after what we did last night. Don't I mean anything to you?" Though she was used to his height and found it as one of the traits she liked about him, at that moment she felt small and insignificant as he towered over her.

Zero seemed in thought for a moment as if he debated on what to tell her. Regardless of how hard she tried to hold them back, a few tears escaped her hold and ran down her cheeks. He let her go and took a step back.

"Maybe there was a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I thought it was clear it was just a one time thing."

"Oh... I see."

He shuffled his feet and looked ahead. At that moment, time seemed to stand still for her. She looked over his profile as he peered behind her. It was all so evident; the frown he was wearing, the set of his jaw, the thin line of his lips. It all made her realize something all too late.

He turned his attention back to her. "So, we're good?"

"Oh, yeah. I get it. We're good. No hard feelings or anything, right? I'll see you around," she answered indifferently. Zero scrutinized the rise and fall of her shoulders as she shrugged.

"Really?" He was surprised, to say the least. "Good. Alright well, I need to go."

"Okay, sure."

He waited for her to move. When she didn't, he took a step around her. In response, she took a step back in the same direction. He took a step in the opposite direction and she mimicked that too.

"What are you doing?" he asked her with his arms held out to his sides in frustration. Her soft expression turned hard as her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. Before he could do or think of anything else, she slapped him. His face jerked to the side as his cheek started to sting and burn. He whipped his head back to her, vexed. "Wha—"

"You come to my room, kiss me and tell me _you've _been wanting to do that. You make me feel guilty and act like I hurt your feelings. And then you say you want to 'make love' to me. Do you think I'm an idiot, Zero? What we did last night was not 'making love' at all."

She slapped him again, just as hard as the first one. "Do you have any idea just how much it hurt at the beginning?! How dare you. How dare you just stand there and say it was understood as a one time thing and act as if I was just a cheap and easy substitute to your hand!"

Her chest rose and fell as her temper flared. "I guess I really am an idiot for realizing it too late. I should have known you weren't attracted to me at all. You're in love with Yuuki, aren't you? What, did you just use me because she and I are best friends?"

He remained silent as he stared at her, hands balled into fists. His face stung and he could taste blood in his mouth from the inside of his cheek scraping against his teeth. He watched as fresh tears fell down her taut face.

"I hate you," she whispered as her voice cracked. With that, she spun around and stormed off. She went a short distance before stopping, turning back and returning to stand before him again. "And another thing." He raised a questioning brow and she slapped him a third time before he could stop her. "Don't think you're getting away with this so easily. I'm going to make you pay when you least expect it."

* * *

Ruka watched the fight between Zero and Sayori from behind a tree. She smiled at Sayori's spirit. Zero wasn't someone she was exactly fond of. In fact, she hated him and the way he treated and disrespected Kaname constantly, but she would need him for her plan.

When Sayori was gone from sight, Zero whipped around with his gun in hand and pointed it directly at her. She wasn't surprised that he knew she was there already.

"You sure have a way with the ladies," she told him.

"Come out or don't, I don't care. Either way, you die."

She chuckled as she stepped out from behind the tree. "You're insolent. I'd wait on that, you may like what I have to say."

"As if I'd like anything a monster in human form has to say." His grip on the gun tightened. Though he knew he deserved what Sayori had administered and felt he got off easy, for now, he still wanted a way to let out his frustrations over her and the situation with Yuuki and Kaname.

"It's about Yuuki. I'm sure that interests you." She watched for his reaction. His stance remained the same, but she could still see the slight hesitation in his actions. After all, he still hadn't shot her.

"What about Yuuki? Did that Kuran hurt her? I'll kill him and you and all the other damn vampires."

"You're always so angry, Kiryu. I have a dilemma and I want your help with it."

"I'm not your suck toy. Go find someone else." He lowered the gun and turned to walk away. He took a few steps before she called out to him.

"Kiryu, I don't think you like the fact that Yuuki and Kaname are getting so close, do you?"

With that, he halted. Ahead of him, he saw a squirrel chase another one up a tree. The sounds of birds chirping played as a soundtrack to the empty and secluded area.

Ruka stared at his back with a knowing smirk. He was so predictable when it came to Yuuki. He would be perfect. Like a dog growling and holding on to his tug toy and defending it with his life. She would need him to bite down and follow her instructions.

"I think what you don't like is Kuran being interested in another woman. The fact that it's Yuuki means nothing. What matters is that it's not you." He turned to her with his own grin and noticed her face fall. "Am I right?"

"Do you know that most noble vampires of high ranking have some sort of power? My family's power happens to be the art of illusion. This can be beneficial to the both of us."

He turned to face her. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, with your help and my powers, I want Yuuki to believe that Kaname isn't as interested in her as she thinks he is. And I want Kaname to believe that Yuuki is more interested in you than in him. So, what do you say?"

This could be the very thing he needed to help Yuuki realize Kaname wasn't good for her and that she'd be better off with him instead. A slow and mischievous smile spread across Zero's face as he holstered his weapon.

* * *

Aidou grumbled to himself as he walked down the long and empty hallway toward Kaname's room. He was ecstatic that Kaname needed him for something, but the conversation he had with the pureblood confused him.

Just what was Yuuki to him and why was he doting on her? It made him jealous that she, a mere human, would receive such attention from Kaname. At the same time, it made him curious. There must have been something about her that he hadn't discovered yet that would fascinate his fearless leader.

The possibility that it could certainly be because of her blood crossed his mind. Recalling the taste he had of her life force made his mouth water. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts he had. Scrunching up his shoulders as if expecting to be hit, he nervously looked around, wondering if Kaname would sneak up on him and strike him down for thinking about Yuuki in that way.

When there was no sign of him anywhere, Aidou visibly relaxed and let out a sigh. Recalling his instructions, he again proceeded down the hall. Once he finally made it to Kaname's bedroom, he knocked three times.

He wasn't about to charge in and risk seeing something indecent. That would only ensure his own death. He already had a scare like that once, and once was enough for him.

When there was no answer, he knocked again and waited. He looked down the hall and noticed it still empty.

"Yuuki? Are you in there?" He turned his head to the side and listened in, trying to hear any sounds or movements. There was nothing but silence. "Yuuki, I'm coming in. If you're indecent, please cover yourself now." He waited another moment before opening the door and peeking in.

The room was empty. He pushed the door open all the way with the tips of his fingers, standing at the entrance and scanning it for any movement. There was nothing. No light, no sounds, no body. If he recalled correctly, Kaname told him that Yuuki was in his bedroom.

Could she have left to return back to her dorm? He let out a nervous sigh. How could he have lost his charge before even seeing her? Kaname's instructions were clear: Protect Yuuki under any and all circumstances. He had to find her. If something happened to her then he was sure Kaname wouldn't let him off easy.

He ran down the hall and skipped down the steps, opened the main door and rushed out. The sun momentarily blinded him as he squeezed his eyes shut. When he adjusted to the brightness enough to be able to see through the haze, he ran the length of the stone steps, trying to pick up on Yuuki's scent.

It was there, but very faint. That meant she had to have gone this way. He passed through the gates and scanned the area. There were no Day Class students milling about which was different for him. He was used to the hordes of screaming fans. Then again, he usually wasn't out at this time of day.

Just where exactly was he supposed to look to find Yuuki?

* * *

After spending some time alone in his office to gather his thoughts and think of solutions, he led the small group out of the Moon Dormitory. They were on their way to the Chairman's office to meet with him about the news regarding the beheaded Day Class student. Kaname knew he would have to give Chairman Cross some information about the threat and the impending attack from Rido. If Rido was going to use the students as leverage to get Yuuki, then their options seemed limited.

He couldn't leave with Yuuki to go into hiding even though he wanted to. She would never agree to leaving the academy; she had no reason to. His best course of action was to acknowledge her as his lover so that the rest of the vampires would protect her without him having to force them.

Controlling vampires was just one of his many abilities and talents, but he refused to exercise that power. Unless, of course, you counted the earlier blunder with Zero. He believed for vampires to have their free will and that was one of the many reasons why the majority of them respected him and followed him unconditionally.

Though he supposed he could simply ask them to protect her, but without having a reason... he didn't see why any of them would indulge him in his request. He was used to manipulating people to do as he needed or doing things alone.

If she was his lover then by default that would make her his equal. There was one problem with that though: he had no idea how to get her to agree to such a thing, even if it was only in title.

His thoughts wondered back to their conversation earlier and how it didn't go as well as he had planned. It wasn't his intention to lose his control and be belligerent with her, but imagining her being touched and kissed and _entered _by another drove him crazy.

Sadness enveloped him. She was so close to telling him what happened before Rido's human sacrifice interrupted them. If only Takuma had waited another five minutes.

They were almost to the building when he heard Hanabusa's voice calling out in the distance. He turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw him about a mile away, hopping and skipping over the yard and into the shade the school's walkway provided.

Two female Day Class students stopped to stare at him with adoration as they squealed.

"Idol! Idol!"

"Bang, bang!" he heard Hanabusa exclaim to the students with a grin as he made an 'L' shape with his thumb and index finger, pretending to shoot them. They both swooned and giggled. Kaname shook his head.

"Ichijo, please go and tell Aidou that if he fails to carry out his one and only task, that I will be very put out. Meet me at the Chairman's office afterward." Takuma nodded and jogged away.

Kaname and Seiren entered the building and climbed up the stairs to the appropriate floor. They reached the double doors in no time and saw they were cracked open. He was going to knock when he heard arguing from the other side. The sound of the voice instantly put him on edge. Calm, calm, calm. Stay calm, he chanted internally.

"This is absurd! If there is an attack on the students because of those _vampires_ then I say it's about time we get rid of them!"

"Zero, my son. Settle down."

"You may have raised me the past four years, but I don't remember ever being your son."

Kaien Cross sighed. "I may not be your father by blood or even legally, but I still raised you and have cared for you as if you were my own."

"Whatever. You're being irresponsible by letting the humans be in danger because of your stupid idea of having vampires here."

"There is going to be danger no matter where we are. There is danger for both humans and vampires all over the world. To want both our species to co-exist peacefully is not a stupid idea. You need to let some of your old grudges go, Zero. Move on with your life. Find some happiness."

"Let some of my grudges go? My family was killed by a pureblood! How do you expect me to let that go?!" There was a _bang _as Kaname assumed Zero had hit something, perhaps the table or wall.

Kaname had heard enough. He opened the door and walked in with Seiren behind him. He saw the Chairman sitting at his desk and Zero standing in front of it, wearing his usual scowl. One side of his face was tinted pink and for a brief moment Kaname pondered if he had gotten into a fight.

"Great, look what the cat dragged in." Zero stood straighter and moved to the opposite side of the desk to get further away from him. Kaname smiled.

"Hello Chairman Cross, Kiryu. I believe there are some things we need to go over."

"Yeah, like how about you taking your fellow monsters and the trouble that follows you away from the academy?"

"Zero, that's enough," Kaien stated, exasperated. He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them with his elbows on his desk. "Kaname, thank you for stopping by. You're right, we need to discuss what happened. We can't let the incident that took place ten years ago to happen again."

"I agree." Kaname sat in a chair as Seiren stood behind him, her stance appearing to be at ease and her face impassive.

"What happened ten years ago?" Zero asked.

"That's none of your concern, Kiryu. If you could excuse us, Chairman Cross and I have things to discuss." He folded his hands on his lap, his back straight. He looked every bit of the royal he was.

"I should kill you," Zero stated. "If you were dead then we wouldn't be having these problems." He shifted his weight to his other leg. Before he could blink, Seiren was standing directly in front of him with her hand held rigid and straight at his throat. Zero pulled out his gun and pointed it under her chin.

"Zero, stop it! Put that gun away!" Kaien called out.

"Seiren, it's fine." At the command of her leader, she lowered her hand and took a step back, not at all concerned about the gun still pointed at her. "Zero, put the gun away. Unless you want another example of where you should point that?"

Zero grumbled and holstered his weapon for the third time that day. "I'm going to get rid of all of you one day."

Kaname chuckled. "Aren't you just the genocidal tyrant? Are you also suicidal? It must be tiring to hate the very thing you yourself are. Since you're so concerned about vampires being a danger to the humans, and since you don't appear to want to attend your classes, why don't you go and patrol the grounds, hmm?" Kaname raised a brow at him.

"Screw you. I'm not leaving because you told me to." Zero started walking to the door but stopped before leaving. "I'm leaving because I'm sure Yuuki misses me, so I'll go find her." He smiled as Kaname's eyes narrowed at him. "After everything that happened last night, I'm sure she misses me. And we spend so much time together... especially at night. Just the two of us."

Kaname grabbed the armrest and squeezed as he watched Zero's sickening smile and retreating form. He growled low enough for only Seiren to hear as he fought for control. What he desperately wanted to do, regardless of what Zero's implication meant, was go after him and rip his throat out.

"What's he talking about? Those Day and Night Class students that were out and about last night?"

"Never mind. We have more important things to discuss." Kaname turned back to the Chairman. Takuma entered the room and closed the door. He nodded to Kaname and Kaien in greeting before taking an empty seat.

"Ichijo, it's nice to see you. I don't mean to be disrespectful to you but," he turned to Kaname, "is it safe to speak in front of him?"

He nodded. "I trust Ichijo. He knows everything. I filled him in already." With that, Kaien seemed satisfied and continued.

"I need to know, is this going to be a blood bath like at the Kuran mansion ten years ago? Do you have any information about Rido and his whereabouts? What's his objective?"

Thoughts of Rido and what he wanted passed through his mind quickly. He sighed and looked at the Chairman with regret. "I'm afraid that it will indeed end in more blood than just the one Day student. He wants Yuuki... and I'm sure you're well aware that he can't have her."

"Yes, that's true. But I also can't have more of my students dying or being in harm. There must be some sort of compromise to protect everyone. What if I sent Yuuki away until this issue with Rido is taken care of?"

"I've thought of that, but I honestly don't see her leaving. Especially if she finds out there may be danger to the students. There is the possibility that Rido will still attack the students even if she is gone to lure her out. You know how she is, Chairman Cross. She will want to stay behind and help in the fight. I can't have that. I can't risk her getting hurt."

"That's true. Maybe I should send the students away on an impromptu vacation. All the students, Day and Night, can go to their homes for a short period of time."

"That possibility crossed my mind, yes. Not all the vampires will leave if they know the reason behind the time off. It may be a good idea to keep some of them here."

Kaien leaned back in his seat and let out a deep breath. "The problem is, not all the students will be able to leave right away. It will take them a couple of days to get prepared."

"Chairman Cross..." Kaname tapped his fingers on the armrest, examining the man with the straw colored blonde hair that was loosely tied back and the hazel eyes full of both the joy for life and the sadness of death. "No, I should address you properly in this situation. Retired ex-vampire hunter Kaien Kurosu, legend among both hunters and vampires. Should you be called upon, will you wield your sword and fight again? Or do you wish to remain passive and neutral?"

Pushing his glasses up his face, he didn't even think about the question. He answered immediately. "I will do whatever it takes to protect Yuuki and the students, both human and vampire."

* * *

**A/N: Death to all orange flavored candies!**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.**


	7. Family Reunion

**A/N: Yo.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Hanabusa spent a great deal of time running down several hallways trying to pick up Yuuki's scent before he finally found her. The entire time he felt as if he were impersonating a chicken without a head, sick with dread at Kaname's warning, only to find out that she had been in her room the entire time. When he approached the door, the scent of blood assaulted his senses. In a near panic over the possibility of her being hurt, he rushed into the room without knocking.

As the door flung open, he saw Yuuki and Sayori standing at one of their desks, paused in mid action and staring at him in confusion. He looked around in a panic for the sign of blood he could smell, surveying the two in the process. There was nothing visible that he could see. A vampire knew blood when they smelled it, he knew he couldn't have been wrong.

He inhaled deeply and visibly with his nostrils flaring out, his ice blue eyes tinting with a shade of red as he looked from side to side. Yuuki and Sayori both screeched and ran at him, pushing at his chest until they shoved him out of the room.

They both yelled at the same time as they slammed the door shut.

"Ew!"

"What the hell are you doing, Aidou?!"

The two of them went back and forth with one another as they mumbled to themselves about how perverted he was. Hanabusa stared at the closed door, frozen. Just what in the world had happened? It suddenly dawned on him and he took a step away from the door, appalled.

"Oh... oh... wow, that's... that's so gross." He shook his head as his face turned red from embarrassment. "That's disgusting."

Yuuki opened the door and stepped out, shutting the door behind her. Hands still on the handle, she leaned her back against the frame. She eyed him with menace as her lips thinned into a straight line.

"What are you doing here, Aidou? And just what were you thinking, barging into a room and sniffing around like that?"

"That's not your blood, I can tell."

"Uh, yeah. Sayori kinda maybe started her period just now."

"Eh, eh, eh! I don't want to hear those kinds of things!" Hanabusa covered his ears and closed his eyes.

He noticed some female students enter the hall. Before they could notice him and create a scene, he grabbed Yuuki's hand and started in the other direction. She didn't resist as she followed.

"C'mon, we need to talk and I don't want an audience." When he led her outside to a shaded and desolate area, he released her hand and turned to her. "Okay, so I have some questions for you if you don't mind answering."

She nodded her head in consent.

"Just what exactly are you to Lord Kaname? I don't understand why he would bother with a human like you. What does he mean to you? What's so special about you?" Hanabusa crossed his arms over his chest and watched her face color with a tinge of pink.

Her head lowered as a faint smile touched her lips. "Ka-Kaname saved me from a _Level E_ ten years ago. I owe him my life. I owe him everything."

"Oh, is that all?" Hanabusa examined Yuuki, not believing that was the only reasoning behind Kaname's obsession with her. He was becoming jealous and angry. "Did you ever thank him for it? Saving your life?"

"Eh?" She looked up at him, a little confused. "I-I think so. I must have back then but I guess I don't remember."

She didn't remember if she thanked Kaname for saving her life? How absurd. He released some of his power. A trail of ice covered the ground under his feet and snaked out toward her, engulfing her feet and cementing her in place. She panicked as she tried to move away but couldn't. She looked up at him in confusion.

"Aidou? What are you doing?"

"You know he's a vampire, so why don't you thank him with your blood?" He took a step toward her and lowered his frame to be face-to-face with her, narrowing his eyes. With one finger, he traced the length of her neck slowly. "Let him bite you here. Feel the way his fangs pierce your neck and suck your blood."

Her heart rate picked up as she became flushed. Hanabusa paid attention to her reactions and noticed her breathing hitch. Interesting, he thought. When he stepped back he crossed his arms over his chest again and inspected her.

Her response indicated to him that she had feelings for Kaname. If he reversed that thought process and examined Kaname and his array of emotions toward her then he suddenly realized that Kaname had feelings for her as well. That would make sense as to why Kaname was infatuated with her. Why else would he order him to protect her? It amazed him that he didn't figure that out sooner. But he had to make sure that Yuuki actually cared for Kaname and wasn't enraptured by the fact he was a vampire.

"How do you feel about Ichijo?" He examined her closely, wanting to find any sort of hesitation or chink in her armor. When her brows furrowed in further confusion, he continued. "Or Akatsuki?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"Do you like them? Maybe Shiki?" She stared at him as if he were going insane. "Me?!"

"Uh."

When he didn't notice any sort of physical reaction to the names he called out, he was extremely pleased. Though there was still one name he had to test. He knew that this would be the ultimate assessment of her feelings. Everyone knew how close she was to Zero and if there was anyone she was interested in other than Kaname, it would be him.

"What about Kiryu? Do you like him?" Her confused look turned violent. Though her heart rate picked up, he could tell it wasn't out of affection or love. This confused him. Maybe she didn't like him at all?

What stunned him completely was when the ice that froze her in place suddenly vanished and trails of smoke rose up from where it was. He put one leg back as he held his hands out to his sides, looking in different directions for Kaname to pop out of somewhere and beat him. When he didn't see anyone, he looked back at Yuuki.

Her small, little hands were balled into fists as her body was rigid. Eyes were slit into narrow lines as her mouth was turned downward. She took a step forward and he could sense her fuming. It shocked him to see her in this state. She was either always in a perpetual state of happiness or confusion. He wasn't used to seeing an angry Yuuki. And if he was right, then she had broken his hold on her. But that was impossible. How could a mere human overpower a vampire's ability?

This worried him a great deal. Maybe there was a lot more to Yuuki than he originally thought. Maybe this, along with other hidden reasons, was why Kaname was attracted to her.

"Don't say his name to me right now. I'm extremely cross with him! If I get my hands on him I'll beat him to death myself!" she exclaimed.

"What in the world? Why would you do that? I thought you two were buddy buddy." He wondered if he could get away from her and her wrath in time. Not once had he ever questioned his abilities over a human's, but something about Yuuki was frightening him. Perhaps it was the unknown.

"Because he hurt my best friend in a way that is unacceptable! I wont forgive him for that." She shook her fist in the air and looked as if in thought. "He's got another thing coming to him."

This was good news for Hanabusa. Though he was still wary and a little nervous by this side of Yuuki, he was happy knowing that she actually felt for Kaname and not anyone else. And he, being the faithful and loyal servant that he was, was going to help Kaname find his happiness. If they both cared for one another, there was no reason for them not to be together. Even if she was a human.

"I have an idea," he tried to interrupt her grumblings. "You like Lord Kaname, right? And he likes you, that's obvious enough to me now. So, I'm going to help you two get together. It's not up to me who he decides to be with. If he wants you then that's his choice. I'll respect his decisions."

Yuuki stared at him and shook her head. "You've got it wrong, Aidou. Kaname doesn't like me like that. I'm just a little girl he feels he needs to protect." She thought of their conversation earlier and the fact he told her he loved her. Why would he say that? And what did he mean by it? Loved as in a friend? A sister?

"I'm not the one that has it wrong, Yuuki. I can tell. Just look at it from an outside perspective. Why would he protect you more than any other human?"

"Well, because..." When she thought of it that way, she really didn't have a reason. "But that doesn't mean..." she trailed off, not knowing how to finish her sentence. Could it be that over the years, when she was falling in love with him that he was doing the same? Falling in love with her?

"And! I never see Lord Kaname smile at _anyone_ except you. In fact, now that I think of it some more, the way he looks at you is so obvious. It's full of longing and... sadness? I'm not sure about that second part though." Hanabusa rested his elbow on the back of his right hand as his left hand pinched his chin in thought. "Hmmm."

"Y-you're being ridiculous." The possibilities ran through her mind. If Kaname liked her then maybe that's why he was so upset with her hiding things from him. But why would he ask her if she slept with Zero? Sayori did that, not her.

Thoughts of her earlier conversation with her best friend flooded her mind again. When she entered her room after escaping from the Moon Dormitory, she walked in on a crying Sayori who was bundled into a ball under her covers. She was told all about how Zero had used Sayori and wasn't interested in her at all. It angered her that Zero would do such a thing to anyone, let alone her best friend.

"I don't think so. Why would he send me to protect you while he's not around? Doesn't make sense if he didn't like you. I think we should test it!" Hanabusa snapped his fingers.

"I can't test something like that. What if you're wrong and he doesn't like me? Then I'll be embarrassed."

"Who cares if you get embarrassed for five minutes? Wouldn't you rather find out than drive yourself crazy? If he doesn't like you, then you can move on without any doubts or regrets and look for someone who does. But if he _does_, then there's no reason to stop you two from sharing those feelings together."

"Why are you trying to help me, Aidou? I thought you didn't like me."

"It's not that I don't like you. I just don't see what's so special about you. But I'm starting to think there's something about you that neither of us know about. Either way, it doesn't matter what I think. What matters is making Lord Kaname happy. And you seem to be the only one who can do that."

Yuuki didn't share Hanabusa's conviction, but he had a point. She couldn't go the rest of her life pondering back and forth about his and her feelings. She nodded in agreement and smiled.

"Alright, Aidou. Let's test it."

He returned her smile with a grin as they shook hands and giggled like idiots.

* * *

Night fell across the land without any further incident. Before classes had been let out, the Chairman had assembled all the Day students to advise them of the impromptu vacation. Kaname did the same with the Night students. Many of them were surprised but excited to be let out of school without any negative impact to their grades. They all began preparations with their families and went back to their rooms to pack.

It was also announced to the Day students that the curfew was being strictly enforced. They had decided to advise the masses that there was an issue with the foundation and plumbing in certain areas of the buildings, which caused them to bring people from the outside to work on it. It was stated that they had to be sure the students were safe from construction and not in the way.

They were also told that if they were out and about that they should do so in pairs or more. The students weren't sure why they would have to act out a 'buddy system' on school grounds, but were placated with the information that in case someone got hurt from the upcoming construction that the other could rush for help. No one questioned anything further.

The Night Class students didn't argue with Kaname's statement regardless of the reasoning. They could feel that something was amiss as tensions seemed high but said nothing to contradict their leader's words. Without any further explanation, they took everything at face value and attended to what was needed to leave.

The small group of Night Class students that were closer to Kaname knew something wasn't right and decided to confront him. As a whole, they went to his office where Kaname had holed himself in and knocked on his door. When they heard him allow entrance, they milled in and stood together in front of the pureblood.

"Kaname," Takuma started. "With your permission, we'd like to stay behind and help you with what's coming. Everyone here has decided that no matter what, our loyalties lie with you."

Kaname stared at his old friend and then turned to look at Akatsuki, Hanabusa, Rima and Ruka standing tall.

"Alright. If that's what you wish then please do so. I wont stop you so long as you don't get in my way."

They thanked him and walked out, leaving him alone to think. When he and the Chairman finished the details of the student's evacuation, he had returned to his room to continue his conversation with Yuuki before assembling the vampires to tell them of their leave. Expect Yuuki wasn't there, which explained why Hanabusa was running around earlier.

He wondered why she would leave and not wait for him like he asked of her. Maybe she returned to her dorm. He wasn't sure, except he wondered what she thought of him telling her he loved her. Did it make her happy or sad? It didn't matter because he already decided he would take a more direct approach. The next time he saw her, he would tell her again.

As he stood to leave his office and go to his room, he felt Seiren teleport in behind him. The smell of blood overloaded his senses and he whipped around to look at her. When he did, he noticed her falling forward and he rushed out to grab her and keep her upright. He helped her down to sit against the wall as he examined her.

Her hand was held over a wound in her side. Blood seeped out of it and ran through her fingers down the rest of her body. Though she still held no expression on her face, her lips were parted and she breathed heavily.

"Seiren? What happened?" he asked.

"Wait, you have to knock first or Lord Kaname will be up..." The door to his office opened as the group that had just left rushed back in. "...set. I tried to warn them, Lord Kaname!" Hanabusa called out as he pointed to the others.

"What happened?" Takuma asked.

"Kaname," Seiren panted. "I'm sorry, but it appears my timing was off. I believe Rido will be here sooner than my original quote of one month. I would say within the week, maybe a day or two. I left to gather additional intel but... somehow, he knew. He was expecting me and caught me off guard." She paused to let a bout of pain pass. "I'm sorry."

"How is he regaining his strength so quickly?" Kaname asked.

"He has a pureblood with him that he's been drinking from. I didn't get a chance to see who, only that the individual had long white hair."

"White haired pureblood?" Takuma repeated. "Could that be Shizuka Hio? She disappeared a while ago. Everyone wondered where she went and what happened to her."

"Rido? As in Rido Kuran?" Akatsuki looked at his cousin. "Hasn't our family mentioned his name before?"

"Yeah, they have. We were told he was dead though. If we're against a Kuran then we're going to have our hands full. We may be noble vampires but we're not as strong as a pureblood." Hanabusa thought. "Though I guess with all of us combined we should be able to put up a fight."

Kaname looked at Seiren and helped her get more comfortable. "Is this the only wound you have?"

Seiren nodded and moved her hand when Kaname reached toward her side. The blood came out quicker. He placed his hand over the large hole and let his power trickle into it. He felt the skin knitting back together from the inside out until it was completely closed. Seiren let out a small sigh of relief.

"You will need time to recover from the loss of blood."

"Yes, but we don't have time. He will be here soon. We need to better prepare."

"Be that as it may, you are of no use to me dead. Do what you need to regain your strength." He stood from her and turned to Ruka and Rima. "Please assist her to her room and help her clean up. Get her a pack of blood tablets as well."

The two women nodded and helped Seiren stand, placing her in between them. They put an arm each around her waist and let her arms rest on their shoulders. Walking slowly, they left the room to do what was needed. Akatsuki went into Kaname's bathroom and grabbed a hand towel to give to Kaname. He thanked him as he rubbed his hands clean.

"Ichijo, please fill Kain and Aidou in with the details needed." His friend nodded and ushered the two out of the room to leave Kaname alone.

"Uh, wait!" Hanabusa called out. "You two go on without me. I want to ask Lord Kaname something real quick." Takuma and Akatsuki looked at him oddly before nodding and leaving. Hanabusa closed the door behind him and stood in front of Kaname.

"What is it, Aidou?"

"It's about Yuuki. I was wondering if I could ask you something about her."

Kaname narrowed his eyes at Hanabusa. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Is she... normal?"

"Excuse me?" Kaname asked in disbelief.

"I mean! I mean is she a normal human? I thought she was but after today I think there's something about her that's off. I just wanted you to know."

"What happened today that would make you think that?" Kaname looked at Hanabusa suspiciously.

Hanabusa gulped. He certainly did not want to tell Kaname that he had used his powers against Yuuki, even if no harm was caused by it. Though he didn't want to lie to his leader either. What a conundrum.

"Oh, well," he hesitantly laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Nothing special, you know, the usual." He took a few steps back to the door and opened it. Once he was in the hall, he turned to Kaname. His words rushed out of his mouth as he started closing the door, peeking his head out. "But you know, if she so happened to have been able to break away from... say, being frozen in place by my ice then that doesn't really mean anything special. Oh, and by the way, I think she loves you!" He slammed the door shut and ran down the hallway with a nervous squeal to meet up with Takuma and Akatsuki.

The towel in Kaname's hand fell to the floor as he stared at the young vampire's exit. Hanabusa used his _power_ on his Yuuki?! He was about to go after Hanabusa to beat him senseless when the last part of the speech stopped him. What did he mean Yuuki loved him?

* * *

The scent of flowers lingered in the air as Yuuki walked briskly past a small garden. She had spoken with the Chairman about being careful and the risk of a possible attack from an angry vampire. She kept her anti-vampire weapon, Artemis, out and in her hand the whole time. Patrols were increased until all the students left for their vacation and she was excused from the rest of her classes. Since she lived at the academy with Chairman Cross and Zero, she didn't have to worry about packing and leaving.

What she was worried about was how quickly she could find Zero. He was missing again and she had a bone to pick with him. Even if she didn't, for him to be slacking at a time like this was unacceptable. So she made her rounds while keeping an eye out for any students, unknown people and Zero.

When she made a round with no one in sight, she went up to the roof to scan the area. She found Zero there, sitting at the ledge with his feet dangling off. Her temper rose at his relaxed state and she stormed toward him. He turned to watch her approach.

"Zero! How could you?"

"How could I what?" Zero looked up at her, not bothering to stand. She stopped next to him and looked down at him.

"You know what! How could you do that to Yori? Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"It's none of your business, Yuuki. It's between Sayori and I." He stood and patted down his pants.

"The hell it isn't! It's every bit of my business when you use _my_ friend and treat her like dirt."

"So, what are you going to do then, eh? Just do it and let's get this over with. I don't want to argue with you about it." He sighed and dropped his shoulders.

She extended Artemis to its full length and twirled it in her hands a few times. The speed that she twirled it made a _whiz_ sound before she swung it down and hit Zero in the stomach with the end of it. He fell forward onto one knee as he grabbed at his stomach and coughed.

"You're an ass." She turned away from him, returned the rod back to its normal state and clipped it to her leg's holster temporarily. Without looking back, she jumped off the roof and took hold of her weapon again to continue her patrols.

* * *

Senri had finally arrived at his family's estate. It had taken him the entire day's worth of traveling to get there. Night had fallen and the area seemed desolate and depressing. The yard had overgrown grass and weeds, appearing as though no one had tended to it in months. Vines crawled up the mansion's brick walls as if trying to drag it into the ground to be consumed. The trees surrounding the area were dead with gnarly looking branches. The place looked abandoned and haunted.

He adjusted the bag over his shoulder and knocked on the door. When no one answered, he tried the knob and found it unlocked. Hinges creaked when he pushed the heavy wood back and stepped in. The foyer was dark and quiet, light spilling in from the moon behind him. Drapes were pulled shut over all the windows. Intricate webs danced along the walls and corners as spiders took up residence.

No one came to greet him. No sounds escaped from anywhere. No life seemed to occupy the empty building. He walked through the foyer into another room and still found no one. Going to where the stairs led to the second floor, he found his mother sitting on the last step, huddled against the railing.

Her hair was disheveled and uncombed. Clothes hung loosely over her thinned body. She was rocking back and forth silently, staring off into space with clouded eyes. He put his bag on the ground and walked up to his mother, knelt down in front of her and took her hand.

"Mother, I'm home." She flinched at his voice and turned to look at him. The haze over her eyes slowly dissipated as recognition dawned on her.

"Senri... Senri... my Senri..." she whispered. Her lips continued to move without further sound.

"Come on, mother. Let's run a bath and get you cleaned up." He stood and tried to tug her up but she refused to move. "Mother?"

"Senri... no, Senri... Why did you come back? No..." She took her hand and clasped them over her ears as she rocked back and forth.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

"Hello, son." A low voice said behind him.

Senri turned around and saw a man taller than him with two different colored eyes staring at him. The man smiled and grabbed onto Senri's face in a tight grip. Senri reached up and grabbed at his wrist, trying to pry the hand off of him. The man chuckled and leaned in.

"My dear boy." He slammed Senri into the wall, causing him to hit his head and fall unconscious. The wall cracked from the impact. "Mmmm, I'm going to use you to have some fun."

* * *

**A/N: Yes, to those wondering, there ****_will_**** be a lemon in the near future. A real one. As in... with Kaname and Yuuki while they're both awake. o.O**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	8. Not As Planned

**A/N: To those wanting chapter 8 quickly, I say to you: As you wish.**

**Why did the chicken cross the road?  
****Because mutha fuckin vampires were chasing it! o_o**  


**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

The next day presented another clear and bright sky. Most students were ready to leave from spending the night packing. The gates were opened as expensive cars and limos rolled in to collect them. Drivers from different families packed trunks with bags and opened car doors for their charges. Kaien Cross stood and greeted everyone that came, apologizing for the inconvenience and assuring the break would only be a short one.

Most of them were able to leave, but there were still too many that had to stay behind as their families couldn't arrive yet. The Chairman was cheerful and happy in appearance even though he kept thinking of various ways to keep the remaining students safe until they could leave.

His lovely daughter had reported nothing out of the ordinary or unusual from last night's patrols. He didn't want her out and about, but he had no other choice since there weren't many who knew of the existence of vampires.

The remainder of last night was spent with him making plans and pacing his room. On more than one occasion, he took out his retired anti-vampire weapon and checked it. It was locked in a hidden niche in a blanket chest at the end of his bed. There was no way the sword would be missing, but he kept reassuring himself it was there, wrapped in bandages and unused for almost two decades.

It was unfortunate, but he would have to draw his weapon once more. He apologized to his dead friend for having to break his promise to her, but he knew she would understand. This was something that had to be done to protect her daughter from the very person that took her and her husband's life.

* * *

Looking around for any sign of life, Ruka made sure no one was around to notice her before leaving the dorm. When the coast was clear, she rushed out and made her way into the trees for some coverage from the sun. She had planned to meet Zero at the barn he enjoyed spending time at for the first step of their plan.

It was clear. First they were to make Yuuki think that Zero was Kaname. Then Zero would treat her harshly and deny any feelings for her. When she became upset, Zero would approach her as himself and comfort her in the hopes of her opening up to him. They would squash any notion of her being with the pureblood.

The second part was for her to tell Kaname about finding Zero and Yuuki together. She would set it up for him to see Yuuki with Zero and then be there to offer her condolences and support through his disappointment. She would offer Kaname her blood, body and love.

Even if he didn't accept her, she would still win. If he found Yuuki with Zero, then at least she could rest assured that he would no longer pursue Yuuki, a mere human. Whether Zero actually ended up with Yuuki didn't matter to her, so long as Kaname didn't.

She reached the barn in a short time after running at vampire speed. Zero was already there waiting for her, leaning against the barn wall by the opening. The horse inside, White Lily, neighed at her arrival and snorted with displeasure. That horse had a way of telling a vampire from a human. Yet why she had no problem with Zero was something Ruka didn't understand.

"Zero, are you ready?" she asked as she approached him. He nodded and stood straight. "Is Yuuki on her way?"

"Yeah. I told her to meet me here to talk to her about Sayori." He rubbed at his stomach in discomfort, thinking of how he was hit with Artemis.

"Alright. I'll be out of sight in the trees over there." She pointed in the direction she came from. "Neither of you will see me. When Yuuki gets here, she is going to see you as Kaname."

Zero scrunched his nose in distaste. "I don't want to look like Kuran."

"You're not actually him, so shut up. Only she will see you as him, otherwise the plan wont work."

"Alright, fine. Now go away, she'll be here any minute."

Ruka walked away and took cover behind a tree. She extended her power over Zero to make him appear as Kaname when Yuuki looked at him. His black with white trim Day uniform and red tie transformed into the Night's white with black trim. His silver hair lengthened and turned into Kaname's deep brown. His lilac eyes changed to wine.

It was another ten minutes before she heard the crunching of dried grass and leaves before Yuuki arrived. What Ruka was not expecting was a second set of footsteps. She rested her hand on the tree trunk as she peered around to get a look at who she came with. If it was another human then that would be fine, but if Kaname had someone assigned to her again today then that could cause a problem.

She saw Hanabusa with Yuuki. This was something she could deal with. She knew she couldn't make Zero look like Kaname to Hanabusa, as he would know that Kaname was at the dorm. But this could work to her advantage. If Hanabusa saw Yuuki with Zero in such a fashion, he would no doubt report his findings to Kaname.

Yuuki spoke a few words to Hanabusa who nodded and remained by the tree line, opposite of where she was. Yuuki approached Zero alone. Ruka made sure she was hidden behind the tree so neither Hanabusa or Yuuki could see her.

* * *

Zero wondered if what he was doing was a good idea. It wasn't like him to resort to tricks but at this point he was desperate for anything that would waken Yuuki up from her love induced slumber. He messed up with Sayori, he knew that, and he felt that Yuuki finding out only took her further away from his reach. There had to be something he could do that would redeem himself.

Though acting as Kaname and hurting her feelings wasn't something he thought was redeemable. If this worked and she really did find interest in him, then he'd have to live the rest of his life with this lie. After Yuuki had hit him out of loyalty to her friend, he spent the rest of the evening patrolling and fuming over his actions.

It didn't help that he was in a constant state of hunger. No matter how many tablets he took, it wasn't enough. They didn't even work. The thought of blood was driving him crazy and he hated himself for it. All he wanted was to bite into someone and steal their crimson liquid. It took everything out of him to fight that urge. So he knew he was acting rashly the last couple of days, but he just couldn't do anything about it.

When Yuuki stood in front of him, he looked at her blush lightly with a look of both hesitation and confusion. No doubt she was wondering what 'Kaname' was doing there rather than him. The idea of her getting worked up over Kaname irked him. It would make his job of acting like an ass to her easier. He heard her heart rate pick up, which made him think of the blood coursing through her veins.

"Kaname? What are you doing here?" She looked around and into the barn.

"Are you expecting someone?" he asked her. She seemed a little nervous before turning back to him and answering.

"Well, I uh... thought Zero was going to be here, to be honest. He called me out to meet him. Please don't be mad."

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Be...cause... it's Zero?" Confusion shadowed her features.

"No, it's fine. What's important is that you're here. There's something I want to tell you." Was this how Kaname spoke? What a stiff, he thought. He was intending on telling her that he, as Kaname, had no feelings for her and that she should move on. That he only thought of her as a little sister that needed protecting.

"Okay, I have something I'd like to tell you as well." She turned to Hanabusa as if she needed reassurance and gave him a thumbs up. Zero looked back to him as well and noticed the blonde look at Yuuki as if she was acting strangely.

"You can go first."

"Eh? Really? Okay, thanks. I, uh... wanted to touch on our conversation before we were interrupted." Her cheeks darkened with her growing blush. She fidgeted slightly. "I've never confessed to anyone before so I'm a little nervous, sorry. Um, I... really like you, Kaname. I always have and there's never been anyone else I've ever felt this way for before."

Zero felt his heart crush. All the years he spent with the Chairman and Yuuki, he always knew she only had eyes for Kaname. Yet he still hoped. This wasn't a good idea at all. To see her so open about her feelings and to have her emotions displayed on her face made it hard for him to go through with his plans. He thought of Sayori and the look in her eyes as tears ran down her face after finding out he used her. He never wanted to see Yuuki the same way.

When Yuuki closed her eyes and leaned in as if she was going to kiss him, Zero froze. He couldn't kiss Yuuki now. He wanted to. He desperately wanted to and had thought of doing it under the pretense of Kaname, but not now. Not after hearing, finally and for once with her own words, how she felt. Guilt gnawed at his insides.

"Yuuki!" Hanabusa called out. "We need to get going. Right _now_."

She opened her eyes with a furious blush and looked away. With an apology and a quick bow, she turned and ran away, calling out that she would speak with him later. Hanabusa grabbed her arm and with a death stare at Zero, left with Yuuki.

Ruka came up to him and hit his back. He turned to her scowling face and sighed.

"What the hell was that about? You didn't say or do a damn thing!" she yelled at him.

"I... couldn't. I can't do that to her. This is a bad idea. I can't participate in this."

"What? You rather she be with Kaname then? What happened to wanting to be with her?"

"Think about it, Ruka. How would you like it if someone tried to taint your feelings for Kuran? I don't think you'd appreciate it. Besides, there are better ways of approaching the issue. Like being honest. I just need to tell her how I feel and work at getting her to love me. Then she'll choose me instead of him. If you're that concerned about Kuran, then go fucking pursue him and don't use these underhanded tactics."

"Aren't you the martyr? What a waste of my time. I should have known you were a coward who couldn't pull through." She gave him a dismissing look as she walked away.

* * *

When they were a safe distance away from Zero, Hanabusa stopped Yuuki and turned to her. He was wondering what she was up to when she started acting like a love sick fool in front of Zero. Hadn't she said that she felt for Kaname and no one else? Didn't he agree to help her get her feelings across to Kaname? He had been, for the better half of the time they spent together that day, coaching her on becoming more confident in herself to express how she felt.

"Yuuki, what was that about?" He had to know if she changed her mind. If she did, there was no point in him telling Kaname things like how she loved him.

"Eh? What do you mean?" She looked up at him expectantly.

"Why were you flirting with him?"

"I don't understand. I thought that's what we talked and agreed on. Did I do it wrong?"

Hanabusa examined her closely and poked at her cheek. "Hmm. You seem like the same Yuuki I know." He poked at her again then knocked on her forehead.

"Ow, quit that!"

"You did it right, except you did it with the wrong person."

"What do you mean? How is Kaname the wrong person?"

What was she talking about? She wasn't doing anything with Kaname. She was doing it with Zero! He was going to yell at her before he stopped to think about it. When they reached the barn, he could sense a vampire's aura. But it wasn't just Zero's that he could feel. He felt another, but when he scanned the area he didn't see anyone.

"You saw Kaname? You spoke with him at the barn?"

"Weren't you there with me? Yeah."

Hanabusa nodded as he started putting the pieces together. He nudged her to continue walking as his mind thought of what that meant. There was only one person he knew on campus grounds who could make someone appear as someone else. And boy, did she have some explaining to do. He cracked his knuckles as they continued down the path.

Yuuki stopped once more and looked around nervously. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something but shut it again.

"Yuuki? What's wrong?"

"I... feel like there are eyes watching me. Two different colored eyes. I keep having this bad feeling."

Hanabusa looked around and tried to sense if anyone else was near by. When he felt nothing, he tried to comfort her. He would have to report this to Kaname as soon as possible.

* * *

He inhaled the evening's fresh air deeply as he stopped in front of the Moon Dormitory. It was a quiet night and it felt good for him to stretch his legs after the long traveling he did from the Shiki mansion. Anticipation filled his veins as he felt the presence of the pureblood inside the building. He hopped up and down on the balls of his feet a few times before traveling the short distance to the building's entrance.

The feeling of being in control of a young vampire's body was refreshing. It was full of energy and agile. Though it was nothing in comparison to his true self, but he needed just a little more time before he could be back in his body. In the mean time, he wanted to have some fun. And what better way to do so other than taking over his son's body and causing mayhem? He grinned at the idea.

The building seemed more empty than he thought it would be. He frowned. Where were all the vampires? Maybe he would have better luck with the humans. Spending time to look for vampires was a waste. He wanted someone to mess with now. When he turned to leave, he heard foot steps from the adjacent room.

"Oh, Senri. You're back already! Why didn't you call? I would have greeted you." Takuma spoke cheerfully as he entered the room and embraced Senri in a hug. With Senri's body came his memories as well, a useful thing for Rido indeed.

"Hello, Takuuuuma."

His son's best friend eyed him with a smile and shrugged. "How was your visit?"

"It was... an out-of-body experience." He laughed at his own joke and slapped at his knee. This was so much fun! Rido thought.

Takuma's smile fell as he examined him. He grabbed at his shoulders and stared into his eyes, a frown on his features.

"You're not Senri." He let him go and took a step back. "Who are you?"

"Damn, you're quick. The name's Rido!" He bowed in a flourish, arms out to his sides and one leg bent behind the other.

"Rido? Rido Kuran? You took over Senri's body? How?"

"He's my son. I can do whatever I want with him."

"For what purpose?"

"To have a little fun! Now let's go find my nephew!" he conspired. He looked up and examined the expanse room. "I think he's... hmm. It feels like he's outside now. Oh, what a rush!" He skipped away from Takuma and went up the stairs in the foyer.

"Hey, wait just a minute!" Takuma called out and followed him.

Rido didn't want to wait. Not for some noble who had befriended his bastard son. Instead, he continued up the stairs and went up to a door that led out to a balcony. The night was young and the air was cool. Kaname stood there, looking out into the night.

The little shit would feel confident enough to have his back to him? Didn't he know that he was his master? He was the one that woke him from his sleep. He owned Kaname! Since Kaname didn't want to play by his rules he would change them and make up ones that had to be followed.

"Well, helloooo there, _nephew_." Rido grinned as Kaname tensed and turned to stare at him.

"Uncle."

"Oh, I love it. Don't you just look pleasant? You haven't changed a bit. The look in your eye like you want to kill me. It runs shivers down my spine." He dramatically shuddered and laughed. "It's good to see you, Kaname."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same for you."

"Well, you're not much for family reunions, now are you? Speaking of family, where is my beautiful niece? I can't wait to get my hands on her." His mouth watered at the thought of sinking his fangs into Yuuki.

"You can't possibly think that I would let you lay your filthy hands on her, do you?"

"Why not? Have you? Have you awoken her to her true nature yet? I hope you haven't, because I'm dying to have some fun with her first."

The ground beneath Kaname started to crack as his power thrust out from him. It shot up, breaking the cement from the balcony into hundreds of jagged pieces and flung them toward Rido. Takuma ran in front of Rido and held his hands out to stop him.

"Kaname! Wait!" The broken pieces stopped and stood suspended in the air, just barely missing Takuma. "I can't let you do this."

"You're betraying me, Ichijo?"

"I would never do that, but I can't let you hurt Senri's body. I'm sorry, I have to protect him until he's no longer in Senri."

The deadly projectiles dissipated into thin air with a _whoosh_. Strong winds battered at them and made any loose clothing flap violently. When it settled, Kaname had disappeared.

"So dramatic." Rido turned and walked back into the building. Since Kaname didn't provide him with nearly as much as he had hoped, he had to find another way. Takuma followed him closely. That didn't bother him any. He never minded having an audience.

Rido was a man of his word though. As he mentioned in his note to Kaname, for every day that passed where Yuuki wasn't his, he would do something to torment his nephew. Yesterday, he presented him with a lovely head. Today, he would do the same unless he found something else that he deemed equally as fun.

He exited the dorm and looked around the expanse of trees surrounding the building. What to do, what to do, he thought. He inhaled deeply, picking up on various scents. There was one that stood out more than the others. Flashes of long brown hair flowing wildly and big brown eyes came to mind. Longing grabbed at his insides as he thought of Juri.

With Juri dead, the only person that could create such a reaction in him was Yuuki. She was her mother's daughter, after all. He grinned as he started running toward the scent. It was unexpected for him to see her so soon after his arrival. He imagined Kaname hiding her better.

Takuma followed him and stayed close behind. Rido stopped suddenly, almost causing Takuma to crash into him. He turned to the pale blonde and green eyed vampire and grinned once again.

"Hey, Takuma. Guess what." He leaned in a little. Takuma leaned back, wary.

"What?"

"Tag, you're it!" He kicked Takuma in the stomach, making him buckle over. While he was still down, he ran for the trees at vampire speed to get away from him. Rido wanted some time 'alone' with Yuuki without any interruptions.

Running through the trees at a fast pace and jumping over any fallen logs, he finally reached where she was. He watched her stance and the way she moved. She was graceful and beautiful, just like Juri. Her hair was too short though, only reaching her shoulders. Rido would change that. He'd make sure she always had long hair, like her mother.

Yuuki stopped and looked around. He wondered if she could sense him. Excitement gripped him. She should be excited, he thought. She would be his wife soon. Any wife would be excited to see her husband. His mouth watered again as he looked at her neck. The blood he longed for decades was so close.

Another vampire was with her though. Also blonde, but darker than Takuma's. That didn't matter, he could easily get rid of him as well. He broke through the trees and rushed to them, acting as if he were panting from exertion.

"Shiki?" Hanabusa asked. "When did you get back? What're you doing here?"

"Oh, Aidou. You need to get back to the dorm, quick."

"What? What happened? Is Lord Kaname okay? Has Rido showed up?"

Rido smiled. He was a little surprised that Kaname would tell anyone about him. He was always so secretive. "Yeah, he's here. He needs your help. I'll watch Cross, don't worry."

Yuuki unconsciously took a step back. Hanabusa glanced at her and hesitated for a moment. How irritating.

"What are you waiting for? Kuran is waiting for you."

Hanabusa took only one step before stopping and turning back to Yuuki. "You... maybe you should come with me."

"What, you want her to go directly into danger? I said I'd watch her. Just go already." Rido was frustrated. From dipping into Senri's memories, he didn't think Hanabusa would question anything that involved Kaname or act smart for once. When he still stood there, contemplating what to do, Rido shoved him and urged him to go again.

Finally he left, leaving Yuuki alone with him. He grinned at the retreating form of Hanabusa and slowly turned to look at Yuuki over his shoulder. She gripped Artemis tightly as she took another step back. Desire rushed over him. She held it just like Juri. They both handled the anti-vampire weapon. Could she turn it into a scythe as well?

"Just like your mother," he whispered in awe.

"Wh-what was that?" She looked around nervously. "Maybe we should go help."

"Ah, ah, ah," he scolded her when she tried to leave. "This..." He took a strand of her hair and let it slip through his fingers, feeling the silkiness of it. "This is fine with just the two of us."

"Shiki? Are you okay? What's wrong with you? You're acting strangely."

"Yuuki, listen to me. You need to remember who you really are." He grabbed her chin. This would be his gift to Kaname for tonight. "I need you to fucking remember without waking up first. It'll make you go crazy and that excites me like you wouldn't believe. I'm getting hard just thinking about it."

"What are you talking about? You're hurting me, let me go."

He leaned in and sniffed at her neck. The scent of her blood and fear mingled together and intoxicated him.

"I'm going to help you, Yuuki," he whispered into her ear. "Remember who your mother and father were. Go crazy for me, please. Before I take you, I want you out of your God damn mind."

Rido licked her ear and placed his hand over her forehead. He couldn't use all of his power while in his son's body, and what he could use was a muted shadow of his abilities. But it was enough to get the job done.

* * *

Yuuki tried to activate Artemis into it's full length to use it as a way to defend herself. She had no time to do so. When he placed his hand on her forehead, she felt a warm sensation wash over her before she felt herself go limp and fall to the ground. Her anti-vampire weapon fell from her fingers and rolled a few feet away.

She heard Senri laugh maniacally followed by Takuma's shouting voice. With a glance up, she saw him run off into the woods, leaving her alone in a heap. Trying to lift herself up, she couldn't find the strength. The warm, tingling sensation cocooned her and she felt herself descending down a tunnel, spinning in circles frantically.

A haze of red clouded her vision. Snippets of images she never saw before passed through her mind on fast forward. She hardly had a chance to examine them fully before the next image came. Everything she saw was so foreign to her.

She saw a large, windowless room. A woman's arms stretching out to her. The bottom half of a man's face with a gentle smile. Two different colored eyes. A sea of blood. Laying in a bed with a little boy. Snow falling. Reading a children's book. Getting scolded by a female voice for jumping on a couch. The warm feeling of arms around her. The nostalgic scent of a cool, dewy evening after a storm.

Red. Everything was covered in red.

Blood. Blood.  
...Blood..  
Blood...blood...blood...

The images flickered quickly and constantly, repeating over and over. She covered her hands over her ears and shut her eyes tightly.

"_...did you clean your ro..."_

"_...how long..."_

"_...keep her locked up here..."_

"_...m home..."_

"_...you a story about your father..."_

"_...hidden all the umbrellas..."_

"_...brother is home..."_

She tightened her grip over her ears and ground her teeth, trying to make it stop.

"_...take care of Yu..."_

"_...seal..."_

"_...please don't hate me..."_

Blood. So much blood. She was covered in it. Drowning in it. It was everywhere, suffocating her.

"No, stop it. No. No more!" Yuuki shouted. Her heart raced as she panicked. She screamed and huddled into a fetal position before fainting.

* * *

**A/N: To take a page out of manga rules, I present to you a preview of chapter 9: "Yuuki is...?!" "Kaname will...?!"**

**PLOT TWIST! The vampires were vampire hunters and the chicken was the vampire. Gasp! You know what vampire chickens taste like? CHICKEN! Really juicy chicken. Get it? Juicy... CAUSE THEY'RE FULL OF BLOOD! Okay, I'm done now.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	9. Overdue Confessions

**A/N: Unce unce unce, baby. One of my ferrets just sneezed on me... thrice.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Kaname heard Yuuki's scream and his heart froze. This couldn't be happening to him again. The nightmare from ten years ago could not be repeating itself. Wasn't it the same? Rido showing up and being distracted by him while Yuuki was in danger somewhere? He was almost too late once, he couldn't chance being almost too late a second time. Where was Hanabusa?

He was on a roof top with Seiren close by, looking for her after his encounter with Rido. The terrified sound of Yuuki's voice echoed in his ears and without hesitation, he jumped down from the tall building. He landed on the ground as if kneeling, one arm stretched out to the side to steady himself with the other hand on the ground in front of him. Dust and dirt curled up, out and away from the impact. Lifting his head up and standing, he ran into the woods toward Yuuki's voice.

Worry ran through him. Thoughts of how he should have done things differently to create better outcomes raced through his mind. The sound of worried murmurs reached his ears before he saw the group of them standing to one side of Yuuki. She was curled into herself against a tree, her knees up against her chest as she held on to her head.

Hanabusa, Zero and the Chairman stood a few feet away from her. They looked between one another and argued in hushed tones. He noticed scratches on Zero's face and blood on Hanabusa's white uniform. His temper flared at not knowing what happened to her and not knowing if she was hurt.

Walking up to the group calmly, he stood on the other side of Yuuki, away from the three men. Tears ran down her face unchecked, fear evident in her eyes. When she saw him, she let out a heart wrenching cry and stood, dashing toward him and slamming into him. He braced himself so he wouldn't fall backward and wrapped his arms around her. She clung on to him, grabbing fistfuls of his long coat as she buried her face into his chest and cried.

He smoothed her hair with one hand and held on to her waist with the other. His heart constricted at her pain but also warmed with the knowledge that she would latch on to him and not her foster father or Zero during her time of distress.

"Yuuki, my dear, what's wrong?" He pet her hair lovingly. She said nothing as she shook her head and continued to cry.

"Lord Kaname, I'm so sorry. I left her for a minute because Shiki said you sent for me. He said he would watch her. I didn't want to leave but... I did. I heard her scream and rushed back but she was unconscious. I tried to shake her awake and she started freaking out and scratched at me."

The Chairman patted Hanabusa on the back. "We were in the area for patrols and got here at the same time as Aidou. When she attacked him, Zero tried to calm her down and she turned on him as well. We figured it would be best to leave her alone until we knew what to do." Chairman Cross pushed his glasses up his nose as he inspected his daughter with sadness.

"She..." Zero touched his cheek where the scratch marks were starting to fade and heal. "She kept saying she was drowning in blood but there's nothing here. There's no blood." He stared at the back of Yuuki's head in anguish.

Kaname gave the Chairman a knowing look which was returned with a short nod. He picked Yuuki up and cradled her to his chest as he turned from the three men and started to walk away.

"Hey, where do you thi—"

"Leave it, my son. She wont calm down unless she's with him. She needs Kaname the most right now."

"I'm not your son..." Zero grumbled.

* * *

Kaname made it back to the dorm and to his room quickly. Hanabusa had followed him and went his own way when they reached the building. Seiren stood watch in the hallway and ensured no one disturbed him or tried to attack.

Yuuki's sobbing had quieted into little sniffles. Her body still shook every now and again and her little hands still had a death grip on his jacket. The soft glow from the full moon outside filtered into the unlit room. Kaname gently laid her down on the bed, resting her head on his pillow. He started to rise but was stopped by her grabbing his collar. He sat next to her on the bed.

"Yuuki, I can't get up if you don't let go."

She tugged at him and his top half fell forward. Bracing himself with his hands on each side of her head, he remained seated and hovered over her. His hair brushed against her forehead. Warm breath tickled across his face from her unsteady breathing. Wet eyes stared up at him with fear and wonder.

Kaname traced her face and took note of everything. Her cute little nose was slightly pink, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen and cracked from crying. Even in such a state, he found her utterly beautiful. It shamed him to think of such things in her time of need, but her close proximity and the near intimate position they were in aroused him.

The tip of his nose barely brushed against hers. Her scent reminded him of the warmth of the sun and the sweet smell of plum blossoms. He closed his eyes and sighed, wanting to control himself and not let desire get the better of him. Right now she needed comforting and support, not a ravenous man.

"Kaname," she whispered. He leaned his head back and looked into her eyes.

"Yes?"

"It's... quiet now. It's quiet when I'm with you." She looked amazed and relieved.

He knew she was having her sealed memories leak out. There was no doubt that Rido had played a part in that. If she didn't remain calm then those memories could drive her to the point of insanity. That couldn't be allowed.

"It's okay, Yuuki." He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Don't worry about it too much. Try to forget it, please." He kissed her other cheek and looked at her, begging her with his eyes to understand.

"But," her voice quivered. "What does it all mean? I don't remember my past, Kaname. Shiki, he was being weird and did something to me." New tears welled in her eyes.

"Sshhh, sshh, sshh. It's okay, Yuuki." He caressed her face. "Hush now. Does not remembering everything change who you are?"

"No..."

"Then it's okay, isn't it?"

"I... guess so. Why does it seem like you're hiding something from me? Did you erase my memories that day you saved me?"

He pursed his lips. If she continued to ask questions, she could trigger her own insanity. He would have to waken her to her vampire side before she did and he wasn't ready for that. She should live as a human and under the sun. If he woke her now, what was the point of Juri's sacrifice?

"I didn't erase your memories, no."

"Then what is it I can't remember? Please, tell me." Fresh tears fell down her face. He wiped them away with his thumb.

"If I agree to tell you, then you have to make a deal with me." She nodded her consent. Now was the time to ask her. He could use this as his opportunity to gain what he needed to get her more protection when he wasn't with her. "You have to become my lover. If you do, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

Her eyes widened in shock as her mouth parted into an oval shape. Her expression was comical and he couldn't help himself from chuckling. She smiled in return and let go of his collar to run her hands up his neck. She ran her fingers through his hair as she closed her eyes and sighed with satisfaction, her smile widening.

"Okay."

Kaname looked at her beautiful smile and relaxed face, slightly confused to her reaction and response. He was expecting her to argue and deny any sort of advancements, or at least blush and become flustered. They hadn't finished their talk from the other day and he hadn't forgotten about the unanswered questions about her and Zero, but he would take any sort of affection from her. It didn't matter if it was hatred or love she gave him so long as she gave him something, though he would much prefer the latter.

"I've been wanting to do that for so long," she said quietly. "It's as soft as I've imagined." She played with another strand.

"You can do anything you want to me, you know," he said hoarsely. "If you want to touch my hair or any other part of my body, you don't have to ask. I'm at your disposal to do with as you wish."

She finally blushed at his words and he smiled at her. If he didn't change the subject or move away from her soon, he would do things to her that she wasn't ready for. Besides, now was not the time. He doubted she was even in the right state of mind after the ordeal with Rido.

Clearing his throat, he gave her a peck on her nose and raised himself into a proper siting position. She didn't stop him this time and let her hands fall over her stomach. The look of her disappointment almost made him jump on her and kiss her senseless, but he refrained.

"I think you should go to sleep. I want you to stay here with me tonight. Is that okay?"

"H-here? You mean sleep in the same bed?" Her cheeks turned rosy.

"Yes, I want you here in my bed." In more than one way, he added mentally. "Don't worry, I wont bite."

This time her face blazed a deep scarlet as she averted her eyes. He heard her heart race and he found that peculiar. Walking to his closet, he grabbed one of his dress shirts and handed it to her. She took it and looked it over curiously.

"What's this for?"

"For you to sleep in. I doubt you want to stay in your school uniform. The bathroom is that way if you want to clean up and change." He pointed to the direction of his attached bathroom. She nodded, got up and went to change, closing the door behind her.

Kaname sat on the edge of the bed and clenched his jaw, placing his hands on his knees and bending his head down to collect himself. The temptation was too much. His throat was burning for a taste of her, his fangs ached to be used and his pants were utterly uncomfortable.

Sharing a bed with her without doing anything would be his perdition. He would leave her and sleep on his chaise lounge in his office instead, if he even slept at all. He removed his coat and threw it on a chair; unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt at his throat, needing more room as he found it difficult to breathe under the ever growing need for her. He adjusted himself in his pants.

His inner beast argued with him, wanting to know why he waited to take her when it felt that she was already his. Didn't she already so easily agree to be his lover? He started pacing, running his hands through his hair and pushing it out of his face. Fighting his urges for her was nothing new, he had been doing it for years, but everything seemed intensified the last couple of days. Limits were being pushed and boundaries were breaking. Selfishness was taking over, his beast was fighting back.

Yuuki opened the door and stood against the frame, half her body still in the bathroom. She looked at him and fidgeted, nervous about her state of dress.

"This is... embarrassing, Kaname."

"We're lovers now, Yuuki. It's okay. Come." Did she even know what it meant to be lovers? Did she only agree so she could get answers? He held his hand out to her. She waited a moment more before leaving the safety of the bathroom.

His mouth went dry and his throat burned with hunger once again when he saw her in his dress shirt. It hung on her loosely as it was too big, reaching to her mid thighs. She rolled the sleeves up a few times so her hands and wrists could be free of the cloth. Every button was sealed except the first one, making a lovely 'V' shape, accentuating her long throat and sternal notch.

It was her turn to chuckle at him when she stood in front of him, examining his frozen face and parted lips. The sound of her voice broke him out of his trance and he cleared his throat. Pushing the covers to the side, he escorted her into the bed and tucked her in.

"Good night, Yuuki. Sleep well." He kissed her forehead and brushed some of her hair aside, then stood to leave the room. She grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"Wait, aren't you sleeping here with me?" Innocent eyes stared up at him. He gulped and shook his head.

"I will stay in my office, don't worry. Besides, it's too early for me to sleep." He couldn't even if he wanted to, not with the many desires battering at him.

Yuuki pouted. "Can you at least stay here for a little bit until I fall asleep?"

"Of course." He sat on the end of the bed by her feet, thinking the further he was from most of her body, the safer it would be for both him and her. She smiled at him and closed her eyes. Minutes later, she frowned and opened them.

"Kaname, I can't sleep."

"You've barely tried."

"I'm not comfortable."

He gave her a questioning gaze. How could she not be comfortable? There were no problems with his bed.

"Do you need something to be more comfortable?" He looked around the room but there wasn't much he could provide her.

"Cou-could you hold me until I fall asleep?"

Kaname leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling before closing his eyes and sighing. Nothing would be made easy for him, he felt. Her face was half hidden under the covers and she looked so adorable. Her request would be his undoing. How could he lay with her and have her body so close in barely nothing without taking advantage? But how could he deny her anything? He was indeed a masochist.

Without answering, he took his shoes off but left everything else on and crawled on the bed next to her. He remained over the covers as he laid alongside her. She smiled and turned her back to him as she wiggled backward to get closer. He held back his groan as she brushed up against him, but stopped her from getting closer to his groin with her rear. It would no doubt shock her and he didn't know if he could hold back if she rubbed up against him in that way. He softly draped an arm over her waist and held her.

Her sweet scent invaded his head. Hair split in two parts to reveal her neck to him. It was so close and the desire to bite her and taste her was getting stronger. He rested his head over his free arm and leaned his forehead against the back of her head, reveling in the feel of her hair and skin against his face.

She giggled a little as his breath brushed over her exposed skin, causing him to smile. He couldn't remember the last time he was both this happy and in agony at the same time.

"Good night, my dear girl."

"Night, Kaname." She let out a content sigh and within minutes fell asleep. He listened to her even breathing and felt her chest rise and fall steadily. After another half hour of remaining in place, just absorbing the feel of her in his arms, he decided it was safe for him to get up.

"I love you, Yuuki," he whispered and gently kissed her exposed neck before carefully scooting back to get off the bed. He stood and watched her for a short while before taking his shoes and coat, leaving his chambers and quietly closing the door behind him.

* * *

Seiren remained alert in the hallway and nodded her head to Kaname when he exited his room. He noted her complexion was better and she didn't lose her breath as quickly. The amount she healed within a short time was amazing.

He stood by the door and tried to gather his thoughts and control his lust. Running footsteps broke the silence of the corridor as Hanabusa ran up, panting slightly. Kaname closed his eyes, bracing himself for some sort of bad news. Nothing was going as he had planned.

"Lord Kaname!"

"Be quieter, Aidou. Yuuki is sleeping."

Hanabusa covered his mouth with both his hands and glanced at the bedroom door while nodding. "I want to say something to you, if that's okay."

"What is it?" He really didn't want to hear it. He didn't want any more bad news.

"I'm sorry about leaving Yuuki earlier. I should never have done so unless you were physically in front of me and ordering me to do so. Well, I don't know. I may have still stayed even then. She's kinda grown on me in a 'stupid-little-sister-that-needs-constant-watching ' kinda way." Realizing what he said to Kaname, he covered his mouth again.

"Apology accepted, Aidou. You can leave now before you dig your grave any further."

"That's not the only thing I wanted to say. This Rido Kuran, he's bad news and I figure us noble vampires may not even really survive the fight with him but... I figured, if I'm going to die by a pureblood then I rather die by your hands. So, I want to say this." Hanabusa squared his shoulders and held his head high as he stared Kaname in the eye and pointed to the closed door. "That stupid, little sister of a brat who needs _constant_ watching to stay out of trouble loves you. Not Zero or anyone else. Not even me, the Idol! So please, stop being just as stupid as her and tell her how you really feel already!"

Hanabusa closed his eyes and held his breath. "Okay, you can kill me now."

When no strike came and only the darkness of his closed lids greeted him, he wondered if he had already died. If he did, he was thankful it was painless. He heard first a chuckle followed by an unbelievable laugh. Hanabusa opened his eyes and witnessed, for the first time ever, his fearless leader laughing.

He patted over his chest and legs, ensuring that he was whole. "I died quickly. I wonder how he did it. I must be in Heaven to hear Lord Kaname laughing."

Kaname composed himself and grabbed Hanabusa in a hug. Hanabusa froze with his arms out, not believing that such a thing was possible for Kaname to do.

"Oh my God, I really did die."

"You're not dead, Aidou. You're still very much alive." He stepped back and looked at the shorter vampire in front of him. "Thank you, Aidou."

"It was nothing," he waved off. "Now excuse me, I have something _else_ I need to take care of. Ugh, an Idol's job is never done around here!" He bowed to Kaname and left.

Kaname took a deep breath and walked back into his bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him.

* * *

Kaname looked at Yuuki's small figure on one side of his expansive bed, engulfed in his black covers and sheets. She had moved and was now on her back with her head tilted to one side, exposing more of her pale skin to him. She was a temptress and she didn't even know it.

He sat on the edge again and played with her hair. She looked so peaceful and relaxed that he didn't want to wake her, but he had to get the emotions building inside of him off of his chest. He traced her neck with the back of one finger. She stirred and turned toward his touch.

"Kaname..." she mumbled.

His heart tightened at hearing her say his name in her sleep. "Yuuki. Yuuki, wake up." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. She stirred again and opened her eyes slowly to look up at him. He drowned in the abyss of her chocolate orbs.

"Mm?"

"I... I'm sorry for waking you but I have to speak with you. I can't take it anymore, Yuuki. I need you to know that I love you. I loved you from day one, I love you now and I'll love you for the rest of time."

She stared at him wide eyed and fully awake. When she sat up, she pushed the covers off of her and faced him. One sleeve of his dress shirt fell off a shoulder, showing him her thin bra strap and supple skin. He licked his lips to moisten them, not able to take any more of her proximity without touching her.

"Forgive me for being selfish," he whispered.

Caving in to his desires, he cupped her head in his hands tenderly and leaned in, capturing her lips with his in a kiss. It was slow and sweet, the softness of her lips against his searing itself into his memory. She sat frozen for only a moment before she moved her lips against his, returning his gentle passion with her own. Her arms moved up his arms and shoulders as she held him to her, not wanting any way for him to disappear.

When her dainty tongue passed over his lips, he growled and nudged her back onto the bed, climbing on top of her while never breaking his hold on her mouth. The shirt she wore rode up to her waist as he lay in between her legs, grabbing her knee and smoothing his hand over her soft thigh to her hip. She moaned against his lips and opened her mouth to allow him entrance with his tongue.

The kiss turned feverish as their excitement and arousal mixed and rose higher. He unconsciously thrust forward and rubbed against her core in a circular motion. She cried out in surprise and he froze, realization dawning on him. He broke their kiss and held himself up and off of her on his elbows. Their breathing was heavy, both with heavy-lidded eyes and parted lips as they tried to regain their composure.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki. I shouldn't have done that. I just... can't seem to control myself when I'm around you anymore."

"It's okay, Kaname," she panted. "I don't mind. I uh, actually want to continue."

"I can't right now. If we keep this up, I wont be able to stop with just kissing you, Yuuki."

"Kaname." She held his head in place and forced him to stare at her. With raised brows to emphasize her point, she continued, "I want to _keep going_. I..." she blushed furiously and looked away. "I... love you too, Kaname. I always have."

His heart sped up as he leaned back a bit more to stare at her.

"Pinch me," he stated.

"What?"

"Pinch me. I want to make sure I'm not dreaming and I heard correctly. No, wait. Maybe... could you repeat what you said? I'm pretty old, you know. I think I have a hard time hearing sometimes." Yuuki slapped at his arm and he laughed. "Is that any way to treat the elderly?"

"Shut up, don't tease me. And don't be gross."

"I'm still waiting."

She huffed. "Fine! I... love you."

"What?"

"I said I love you, Kaname!" she yelled loudly, her cheeks red with irritation.

A wide smile spread across his face and he leaned in closer. He could feel her breath against his face as he hovered over her lips.

"Mmm, yes. I think I'm in love with hearing you say that. I'll need you to keep saying it. Forever."

He leaned in and gently kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her body to his. She did the same, snaking her arms under his and wrapping them around his back.

"Can we do it now?" she asked when he started to trail kisses down her cheek and neck. He laughed loudly with surprise. She smiled up at him before frowning. "Just... be gentle. I heard it hurts the first time."

What did she say? He frowned as well. "First time?"

"Yeah, I'm..." she looked away, embarrassed by the conversation topic even with the position they were in. "I'm still a virgin so be gentle, please. Sayori, when she slept with Zero, she said it hurt a lot."

He stared at her, dumbfounded and taken aback. Like a snap of the fingers, the idea of her with Zero and the anger and jealousy that it brought rushed out of him. Since the day he misunderstood, he had spent countless hours thinking that she had slept with Zero Kiryu. Tormenting himself relentlessly about her being with another man and how he would have to cope with that knowledge. How he would have to somehow figure out a way to separate himself from her and eliminate his need for her.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked him. He didn't notice he was smiling, but he felt light. Like a load had been taken off his shoulders. Rido be damned, he had the woman he loved safe and in his arms, in his bed, right now.

"Oh, I'll be gentle at first, but I can't promise it will stay that way. You'll scream, Yuuki. But it will be out of pleasure."

* * *

**A/N: Who can guess what the next chapter is going to beeeeeeeeee?! :O**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	10. Desires Unleashed

**A/N: This chapter is shorter than the others, sorry. Please note, this is all lemon (not something I'm great at writing) so if you're not into that, then that's fine. Please skip it and wait for chapter 11. You wont be missing out on the plot as key points of this chapter will be brought up in later ones.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Yuuki moaned as Kaname kissed her again, this time full of hunger and possession. He wanted to make it known to everyone that she was his and his alone, as if marking her soul with his name for everyone to see could be accomplished. He rested all his weight on her as he held her head with one hand, elbow resting on the bed, and trailed up and down her side with the other. The feel of her against him and the perfect way she fit under him was giving him a high he didn't know existed.

She grabbed his uniform jacket and tried to push it off his shoulders. He leaned back, raising her to sit up with him as they continued to kiss so he could help her take off the offensive articles of clothing. His tongue danced and played with hers in a Waltz as he threw his uniform somewhere with a quick fling of his wrist. His tie followed as he tugged it loose and let it drop onto the bed. Yuuki undid the buttons of his vest and moved to his shirt as he removed the work she had already undone.

When his top half was finally bare to her, she tentatively let her finger tips brush against his chest. His skin was warm and smooth, hardened muscles flexing under her touch. She broke their kiss and gasped for air, wanting a good look at him. He leaned in to kiss her again and she stopped him with a finger to his mouth. Deep red eyes stared into hers as he growled at her and it excited her further.

"I want to look at you. You said I could do whatever I wanted without asking."

One corner of his mouth lifted as he nodded, kneeling up and trying to remain still for her to examine him. He let his hands rest to his sides even though he was itching to grab at her and feel everything she offered. She went on her knees as well to be closer to his height as she looked him over, skin highlighted and shaded from the moon.

His broad chest was muscled and lean, lithe like. She was amazed at the raw power she could see that hummed through every inch of his body. With gentle touches, she ran her hands down his chest, starting from his neck, over his pecs and down his abs. She felt the little twitches in him every time she touched him, could see the restraint he struggled with to keep still for her. A thin line of dark hair under his belly button ran down and disappeared into his pants, catching her interest. She traced it with one finger, following it down and sticking her finger into his waistband to run along the edge of it.

Kaname grabbed her hand and stilled it, staring at her and breathing heavily. She noticed the tent in his pants and looked at it, slightly confused. She may have asked him to make love to her, but she really didn't know a thing about it. It wasn't a conversation topic that came up often with any of her friends.

"What's that?" She grabbed at it with her free hand and Kaname jerked, bending forward and shooting out to grab that hand as well. It felt hard and big. Yuuki looked up to his strained face, fangs peeking out from under his upper lip. He moved her hand up and down it once.

"That, Yuuki," he growled, "is what I'm going to make love to you with." He let her hands free as his lips crashed into hers and he held her tightly to him. His hand went up the long shirt she wore, tracing the back of her thighs, up her butt to her lower back until his hands reached her bra. She gasped in surprise by his quick actions as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He moved his body slightly away as he took his hands out from under the shirt and went to the front. Grabbing each side, he tore the shirt open, not caring as the buttons popped out and flew in various directions. He threw it off the bed somewhere and unclasped her bra, adding to the collection of littered clothing on his bedroom floor.

Her nipples tightened as the cool air from the room brushed over her fevered flesh. He looked over her slim body and picked her up, wrapping her legs around him and laying her back down on the bed. She was showered in kisses as he went down her neck and over her collarbone, reaching her perfect and plump breasts.

He licked one bud before taking it into his mouth, sucking on it as he caressed and squeezed her other breast. Yuuki arched her back and moaned at the touch, the feeling of his tongue and teeth grazing against her sensitive skin shooting lust straight to her core. She grabbed his head and held on as she closed her eyes and drowned in the feelings rushing over her.

Every touch was so new, she couldn't believe it or handle it. Need was coursing through her as she gave in, not embarrassed by being exposed to him in such a way. Though she had never experienced or done such things before, she desperately wanted to feel him in her. She throbbed with the need, her breathing getting heavier, wanting and needing to feel him everywhere.

He switched breasts, kissing down her perky mound to the valley between her breasts before he latched on to her other nipple. Biting and nibbling, he traced the hardened bud and sucked hard. Kaname teased and worried the nipple until she started tugging at his head. He reluctantly let go, gazing into her intoxicating eyes and leaning up to kiss her again.

Her legs tightened around him as his body brushed against the apex between her legs, moaning into the kiss. He let her go and lowered himself down her body, releasing her legs from his waist as he trailed kisses down her torso and over her stomach. Her panties were slid down her long and smooth legs slowly and he sat back to admire her in all her bare glory.

"You're so beautiful, Yuuki." She blushed, which he found cute considering what they were doing. He lifted one leg by her ankle and kissed her instep, biting her ankle and kissing the back of her calf. He smoothed his hands over her leg as he moved up her body until he lay directly in front of her folds.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Yuuki asked, confused but aroused. She didn't know what he was doing, but it felt right to her. She wanted to grab him and shove his face down. He traced her folds with one finger softly, causing her to clench up and moan loudly.

"Mmm, I love the sounds you make, Yuuki. And look how wet you already are."

"Is, is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, no, Yuuki. It means you're very aroused. It's very good, but first I want to taste you."

"Taste me? Are you going to bite me?"

Kaname looked up at her and smiled. "Taste, yes. Bite, no." Her face fell fractionally and he realized that fear was not evident in her voice when she asked, but longing. "Yuuki. Do you want me to bite you?"

She nodded her head as she played with his hair. He was amazed that she would want such a thing. He growled at the thought of piercing her flesh with his fangs and drinking from her. She would be safe from turning if he bit her. She wouldn't awaken unless she consumed his blood afterward while he lifted the spell. His inner beast demanded that he take everything from her. Her love, her body and her blood.

"If I bite you, Yuuki, there is no turning back. You're mine and mine alone forever. Are you ready for that?"

"I've only ever wanted you. Please, Kaname. I want you to bite me."

His control started slipping and his body tensed as he stopped himself from springing up on her and biting her neck right then and there. Instead, he stared at her and saw the determination in her wide, lustful eyes. He looked down her body again and lowered his head in between her thighs. He would take things one step at a time.

He spread her thighs wider as he brushed his lips against her folds. Her thigh muscles tightened and she moaned. He licked her from her opening to her little bundle once before losing himself in her taste. She was delicious, just like he imagined her to be. He repeated his actions, licking and sucking, nibbling as he held her legs apart. She started moving on her own as she held his head in place, wanton need taking over.

She looked down her body and saw him in between her legs and that made her pant harder. He looked up as well and their eyes locked, his beautiful red eyes boring into hers and demanding everything from her. His long hair ran between her fingers and onto her inner thighs. He growled against her as he worked his magic, the vibrations running through her.

Thrusting her hips against his tongue and mouth, she was losing herself to the ever growing feeling building inside of her. She felt a storm coming, something she had never felt before. As if any moment she would snap and unravel, explode and fall apart. Just like her dream, she knew she was close to something amazing. Except the dream was no where close in comparison to the real thing.

He stared at his beautiful Yuuki as she moved against his face. Her breathing was heavier and her moaning had quieted as he felt her getting closer to her release. He had an idea and he didn't want her to come just yet, so he licked one last time before moving away from her. He watched her get confused as she stared at him, complaining at his sudden halt when she was so close.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she said instantly.

He went on his knees as he crawled up her body, grabbing his tie from the bed. She eyed the red fabric in his hands but remained silent.

"Give me your hands."

She did so and without objection let him tie them together. She was so trusting of him. He lifted her arms above her head and she craned her head to watch as he fastened the remaining half of the tie to the head board. He tugged at it, ensuring it wouldn't come undone easily.

"If you don't like it, Yuuki, tell me to stop. Do you understand?"

Her breathing was audible as she nodded quickly, watching his every move. He kissed her before moving down her body again. He cupped and squeezed her breasts and moved his hands down her soft, smooth skin. When he rested between her legs once more, he spread her thighs wide and held them apart almost painfully. For what he was planning, he wanted to make sure she couldn't move much at all.

"Okay, Yuuki. Are you ready?" She nodded again as she continued to watch him, eyes still wide. "I'm going to make you come, Yuuki. You'll know when you're supposed to."

Her eyes furrowed slightly and she opened her mouth to question him when all thought escaped her as he moved his mouth against her slit again, greedily ravaging her flesh. He continued his ministrations from earlier and quickly got her back to the point of spiraling out of control. She felt herself close to something grand. She tried to move against him like before but couldn't. His elbows and forearms held her thighs down as his hands kept her hips in place.

He looked at her flushed face. He was ready, but he wanted her to look at him once more before he let her have her release. This would be it. When she lowered her eyes and their gazes locked, he spread her folds apart with his thumbs, sure to keep her still with his weight. He licked her little bundle of nerves one last time before he bit into her, fangs piercing her labia around her clitoris and sucking her flesh, wetness and blood.

Every muscle in her body tightened as she screamed in pleasure, climaxing instantly. He groaned and growled at the feel of her trembling around him. The scent of her arousal and blood lingered in his nose and filled his sense, making him dizzy. The taste of her sweet blood, which he had been longing and thirsty for for so long, spread across his tongue and soothed his burning throat. He almost had his own release as the various pleasures assaulted him. His grip on her tightened, sure he would leave bruises.

Yuuki tugged at the binds on her arms as she instinctively tried to grab on to Kaname. Instead, she fisted her hands together as her eyes closed and her head was thrown back, arching her back and moaning in ecstasy. The feeling of his fangs piercing her flesh was so erotic, she spiraled into another orgasm, riding high and tumbling out of control. She wasn't sure when the first one ended and the second started. Her body burned and shook as every nerve ending was set on fire.

When she was finished, her breathing heavy, he pulled his fangs out of her and licked the puncture holes closed. She shook and jerked at the sensations, repeating his name over and over again. He licked his lips and smiled at her, eyes glistening with desire and lust as he watched her while releasing her hands from their binds.

He kissed her deeply and caressed her body as her hands shot down to his belt and undid it, almost frantic with need to feel him inside her now. Her urgency was his own, as he stood up quickly and undid his pants, taking them off with his boxers and socks before jumping back on top of her. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her head with one hand and her thigh with the other.

"Please, please, I want to feel you in me now, Kaname."

"I have to go slow at first, Yuuki. Or it will hurt too much."

He positioned himself between her legs and ran the tip of his member against her wet folds, groaning at the hot feeling of her against him. Her arms wrapped around his back as she kissed his neck and shoulder, making small noises of pleasure as he ran over her sensitive flesh.

With deliberate slowness, he started to enter her. She was so hot and wet, it took all his control not to thrust forward to be buried inside of her quicker. He had to be gentle for her. It was pleasure that she deserved, not pain. Ever so slowly, he pushed forward to allow more of him enter her. She panted and moaned as her muscles tightened against him.

"Relax, Yuuki," he groaned. He had barely gotten much in after his tip and she was extremely tight.

The wetness made it easier as he slid further in. Her body trembled with delight, loving the feeling of being stretched and full, knowing that their bodies were being connected in such a way. She couldn't take it anymore, she wanted to feel all of him in her. If it hurt, then she would get over it. She just didn't care.

She grabbed his butt and pushed him down as she thrust her hips up, forcing him to enter her completely. She yelled out in pleasure as he moaned into her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin. He grabbed her hips and stilled her, resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Yu-Yuuki... what are you, are you okay?" He peppered her neck and shoulder with kisses, fighting the urge to pull out and thrust into her again. Wanting to feel her walls tighten and glide around him.

"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt. Please, Kaname, keep going."

He waited a moment to make sure, studying her face to see if there was any trace of pain. When he found nothing but need, the need for him, he let himself go. He pulled out to the tip and thrust forward, their sounds of pleasure filling the room.

He wanted their first time to be slow and sweet, but neither could settle for that now. Years of watching each other from a distance while wanting nothing more than to be with one another broke through the dam and flooded out. They needed to feel one another and show each other how much they loved each other.

He set a fast and hard pace. Hands trailed up and down her sides, cupping her breasts and squeezing, leaning down to suck on every part of her mounds. She kept her legs wrapped around him as she met each of his thrusts with her own. Her nails raked down his back and bit into his flesh, leaving little crescent marks against his unmarred skin.

She felt that building pressure inside of her again and knew she was close. He felt her tighten around him and he growled, losing himself in the sensation of being in her, hearing her blood pumping through her veins. He moved up and licked her neck, feeling her shudder around him.

"Yes, please," she begged between gasps.

"You're mine, Yuuki," he growled again before biting into her neck, fangs piercing her flesh once again. She unraveled in his arms as he hugged her to him, moving to their unrelenting pace. She cried out his name and tried to hold on to him tighter, as if trying to merge her body with his. He drank from her, one, two, three swallows before releasing her neck and capturing her lips with his.

He kissed her hard, tongue dancing with hers to the rhythm of their thrusts. She tasted her own blood and moaned, finding the act carnal and sexy. Her tongue brushed against his fangs and he moaned as well, picking up his pace and going faster, delving deeper into her.

When he felt the tingling sensation building up, he couldn't help but thrust into her harder. She gripped his upper arms and bit his shoulder with a moan, not breaking skin. He lost it then, having his own release as he spilled himself into her, groaning loudly as he rested his head against hers. She felt aftershocks of her orgasms and pleasure pulse through her and each time she clenched around him, still in her, he would jerk and thrust into her again.

He rolled onto his side, keeping her leg over his waist as he ran his hand up and down her side and legs. Hair stuck to both their faces from sweat. He pushed her hair away as she did the same for him. With a large smile and eyes full of wonder, she stared at him and started giggling. He gave her his own smile in return.

"That was amazing." With the tip of her finger, she traced the outline of his jaw and cheek bones, followed by running it down the bridge of his nose to the very tip.

"Yes, better than amazing." He noticed a small trickle of blood on her neck and leaned in to lick it clean, closing his bite mark in the process. It would take time to heal and eventually it would go away, but at least it wouldn't bleed out. He wanted the marks to stay there forever, to show every person on the planet that she was his and his alone.

The taste of her blood drove him crazy. It filled him with desire to take her again while at the same time settled the hunger that he had been living with for decades. It was an ambrosial aphrodisiac that he found himself heavily addicted to from the first taste. He licked him lips and stared at her mouth before leaning in to kiss her.

"I love you, Yuuki."

She smiled. "I love you too, Kaname."

Goosebumps broke across her flesh when he traced the underside of one breast before pinching one of her nipples. Her eyes fluttered at the feel of it.

"Are you tired, Yuuki?"

"No."

"Good." He smirked and rolled on his back, bringing her on top of him. "Because the night is still young and I'm not done tasting you yet."

* * *

**A/N: On vacation and it's amazing! But unfortunately, my chesticle got burned. Damn you, sun! -takes out sun block and aloe and cuddles it lovingly-**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	11. Scoldings, Beatings and Compromises

**A/N: Back home from vacation! Had a great time, but I missed my babies (my two ferrets) a LOT, so I'm glad to be back to see them! They were so happy to see us and be home (from our friend's house who was watching them) that they were dooking and doing their little war dances like crazy. It was so fucking cute! If you've never heard a ferret 'dook' or do a 'war dance' then YouTube it!**

**Ahem... anyway.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Hanabusa was on cloud nine from his encounter with Kaname. He felt happy and proud that Kaname trusted him enough to have him protect Yuuki. And didn't Kaname hug him and thank him too? Yes, cloud nine indeed. He had a little bounce in his walk as he puffed out his chest and held his head high, a small smile tugging at his lips. He was the man. The hot stuff. Idol to the ladies and trusty, loyal follower of what he thought was the only important and worthy pureblood.

He hoped that Kaname would take his advice and confess his feelings to Yuuki. He wanted Kaname to be happy and truth be told, he had grown fond of Yuuki as well. What he told his leader wasn't a lie, he really had started thinking of Yuuki like a puppy who needed watering and taking care of. She was indeed a pure and mysterious woman with a big heart who always thought of others first.

Needless to say, when she was all doe-like with Zero in the morning, he was shocked and angry. But he trusted his instincts and her purity, knowing that she wasn't the wishy-washy type to so quickly switch between two men like that. Besides, he knew he felt another vampire at that time. On with the other errand he had to run!

The Moon Dormitory was mostly empty as the majority of the other Night Class students had already left for their homes to be on their vacations. The silence that was left wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable one. If it weren't for Rido Kuran and whatever his plans were, it would actually be enjoyable and pleasant.

Going down to the right wing and into the hallway that housed the female's living quarters, he found Ruka and Rima's room and took a deep breath, knocking on the door. When no answer came, he knocked again and waited. Still no response. He looked up and down the hall with a frown and then put his ear against the door, listening in to see if he heard any movement or a heartbeat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Hanabusa?" Akatsuki said, voice laced with anger. Hanabusa shot upright and stared at his cousin with a light blush.

"It's not what it looks like."

"I think it looks like you're being a pervert and trying to be a peeper."

"Peep on Ruka and Rima? Ew."

"Ew? Don't say that about the woman I love."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry. Do you know where she is? I need to speak with her."

"About what?"

"Jeez, Akatsi, are you her secretary or something? Do I need to make an appointment? It's something regarding Lord Kaname."

Akatsuki frowned and nodded, some of the tension from his shoulders leaving. He only ever got worked up when it came to Ruka Souen. Otherwise, he found his cousin to be pretty laid back and mellow.

"She's in the library. I'm coming with you."

"Where's Rima? Haven't seen her all day."

"Don't know."

Hanabusa shrugged and led the way to the main library, down several hallways. The room was clean and quiet with high ceilings and large windows. Thousands of books lined the walls in shelves and various stacks of books piled up on tables and in corners, creating their own paper-like stalagmites. Ruka was wearing a frown as she stared out one of the large windows into the night. When she felt them come into the room, she turned to face them.

"Hello, Ruka." Akatsuki smiled at her and then went to a corner of the room, close by to where she was. He leaned his back against a bookshelf and crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes. Hanabusa walked up and stood in front of Ruka, wearing his own scowl.

"Ruka, I need to speak with you." He crossed his arms as well.

"What is it, Aidou? And why are you looking at me like that?" She looked from Akatsuki to Hanabusa, shrugged and crossed her arms too.

"What the hell do you think you were doing earlier today?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about using your powers on Yuuki!"

If Hanabusa wasn't watching her closely, he would have missed the infinitesimal widening of her eyes. She otherwise tried to remain passive and ignorant, but he knew what she did. He was sure of it, no doubt in his mind that he may be wrong.

"What are you going on about, Aidou?" She huffed and looked away.

"You tried to make Yuuki think that Kiryu was Lord Kaname. Don't lie or try to deny it. You should be ashamed of yourself. What were you trying to accomplish?"

"Did you tell Kaname about what you _think_ I did?" she questioned.

"Not yet, but I will." Hanabusa smirked and leaned in, letting his arms fall to his sides. "He's a little preoccupied right now," he whispered.

Ruka's lips thinned as her anger started to rise. She stepped around Hanabusa to walk out of the library and storm down to Kaname's room when she was stopped dead in her tracks by the smell of blood. The scent was a familiar one to those in the room, especially to Hanabusa and Akatsuki.

Hanabusa chuckled, jumped up and punched at the air in excitement. "Yes!"

"What are you so happy about?!" Ruka shouted at him.

"We all know that's Yuuki's blood we're smelling. So that means that Lord Kaname sealed the deal."

She let her power flare, making it encompass Hanabusa. She made him see Kaname and his father as they looked down at him with disapproving glares. They both chatted with one another while staring at him, going on about how much of a failure he was as a son and servant.

"Lord Kaname, I'm sorry about my son. He's been a disappointment his entire life, you see." Nagamichi Aidou shook his head. "I just don't know where we went wrong. His sisters are so well behaved and obedient. I don't know where he gets it from."

"Yes," Kaname agreed, inspecting Hanabusa as if he were a captured bug. "He tends to never listen to anything I tell him. Always goes off doing his own thing and causing trouble. I have to discipline him quite often."

"Terrible shame, I say. Perhaps it'd be better if he left the academy and was removed from your sight. I think it'd be best to send him far away and train him for a hundred years on etiquette. Maybe then he'd have a chance of being graced with your presence, My Lord."

"I fear it's too much trouble, Aidou. I think it best we rid us of his plague entirely."

Hanabusa stared from one to the other, jaw dropped at their conversation. He looked around and noticed that he was in his parents living room, back at the Aidou estate. His sisters were huddled together and sniffing, looking ashamed that he would disgrace their family. His mother was sitting on the edge of a couch near the fire place, dabbing at her eyes with a silk handkerchief and refusing to look his way.

If this had been done any other day, he may have fallen for Ruka's tricks and believed what he saw and heard. It would have put the seed of doubt into his heart and his mind would have become heavy with guilt at not living up to his father's and Kaname's expectations.

But Kaname thanked _him_. Hanabusa wasn't sure if Kaname considered them to be friends, but he was at least sure that Kaname considered him trustworthy and possibly even respected him. He started laughing, holding his side.

The image he saw before him wavered a moment. Hanabusa released his own power, a trail of ice snaking up from his feet and shooting up at where he had last felt Ruka's presence. The ice captured her and circled around her in makeshift chains. When he blinked again, he was no longer at his father's mansion but at Cross Academy's Moon Dormitory library.

A furious Ruka was shaking and jerking, trying to break free of the ice chains around her. Akatsuki had pushed himself away from the wall and stood between them, looking angry and worried.

"Let me go, Aidou! You idiot!"

"What are you doing, Hanabusa? Release her or I'll use my own power to do so." Orbs of flames ignited and hovered around Akatsuki's head, waiting for his command.

Hanabusa ignored his cousin and walked around him until he stood in front of Ruka again. He bonked her over the head and put his hands on his hips as he sighed.

"Now, you listen here, Ruka. Leave Yuuki alone. I don't want you trying anything funny on her again. Lord Kaname loves her. Not you or anyone else. Jeez, why does it feel like I've had this conversation already?" He shook his head and shook a finger at her. "Quit trying to get in between them. Everyone knows how you feel about Lord Kaname. Even Lord Kaname himself. Don't you think he would have acted on it if he felt anything for you?"

"Shut up!" she shouted.

"No, I wont. Not until you get it. They're in love. Leave them alone. We always fight with who is a better servant to Lord Kaname, but you're not living up to your word right now. You're going behind his back and betraying his trust. You really want that? You want him to hate you?"

She trembled with anger, her face red and eyes glowering. Akatsuki remained still and waited, listening carefully in disbelief.

"Ruka, what did you do?"

"It's none of your business, Kain! Stay out of it. Aidou, let me go right now!"

Hanabusa bonked her over the head again. "I'm warning you, Ruka. Don't try anything like this again." He released his power over her. The ice shattered, crystals and dust rose into the air and dissipated. He turned from her and his cousin and left the room without another word.

Ruka growled as all her anger escaped her, falling to the ground on her knees. Akatsuki knelt in front of her and held her shoulders.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"He's right, you know. I should never have done anything to betray Kaname's trust. If he finds out..." She sighed and slumped forward, resting her head on Akatsuki's chest. "I just... hate having this feeling in my chest. I want it to go away."

Akatsuki hugged her and rubbed her back, rocking her gently as she cried into his shirt.

* * *

Rido was humming as he strolled down a hallway with his hands in his pockets, inspecting the carpets and paintings. He was happy with the way the night had progressed. With a smug smile, he thought of how he was able to annoy his overly dramatic and depressed nephew, see his beautiful niece and soon to be wife and present Kaname with the night's gift. He even had someone to protect him while in his son's body. All in all, it wasn't bad for one evening's worth of fun.

Speaking of body protector, Takuma was still following him but was smart enough to leave some distance between them. Perhaps he didn't enjoy playing tag, which really was a shame since it was a great game to play.

"Hey, Taku-Taku," he said while turning to stare at the blonde vampire.

"Don't call me that."

"Hey, Taki."

"Don't call me that either." Takuma crossed his arms and frowned.

"Hey, Taku?"

"No."

"Hey, Kuma."

"No!"

"Hey... Tuna? Booba? BFF?"

"No, no and no! You can call me Ichijo."

"But my son doesn't call you that."

"Well, you're not your son. So deal with it. Now, what do you want?"

"I want to know if you plan on sleeping with me."

Takuma's face reddened. "E-excuse me?! Why would I do that?"

"Well, you're protecting me while using Senri's body, right? Where will you sleep? I don't mind if you want to share a bed."

"We're roommates, meaning we share a room. That doesn't mean we share beds as well. But you'll be sleeping in our room _alone_. I'll stay in the room next door, it's already empty. I'll know if you need any help."

He walked up to Takuma and pinched his cheek. "You're so cute." Takuma slapped his hand away. "Suit yourself. I think it's time for bed anyway, traveling was—"

Rido stopped as the scent of blood tickled his nose. He knew that smell. It was a scent he'd be able to recognize anywhere, regardless of how faint it was. It belonged to Yuuki, he was sure of it. So close to his wonderful Juri's blood that his mouth watered as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Mmm..." He lost himself in his own thoughts and day dreams of using Yuuki's body before he realized that he was in fact smelling her blood. Why would he be able to smell that? Unless...

"What the fuck?" He turned his head to the direction the scent was coming from. "Why do I smell Yuuki's blood? What the fuck is going on?"

It couldn't be that Kaname was turning Yuuki already. He didn't have a chance to break the seal on Yuuki's memories completely, so she wouldn't have been that far gone for his nephew to awaken her to her vampiric side yet. He waited to see if he could smell Kaname's blood as well. If he did, then he would know that she was awakening. The thought excited him, though he would have preferred if she had a longer time to simmer in her own insanity. When he couldn't smell any blood from Kaname, another thought dawned on him.

There was no way that Kaname was drinking from her willingly, without turning her. Could there? And if there was, if they were doing such a thing, then that would mean that his Yuuki was now tainted. No longer a virgin to a vampire's bite. Would Kaname stop at just a bite and drink? Or would he take her body as well? The better question was...

Why the fuck was his wife-to-be cheating on him with another man?

There wasn't much he could do to Kaname now while not in his own body or fully recovered, but the determination was there. Kaname would pay for what he had taken from him. Rido clenched his fists as his temper rose. He stormed off in the direction of Senri and Takuma's room with Takuma following close by.

When he got there, he opened the door and grabbed the chain lying on the floor. He wrapped it several times around his arm in a large circular motion until the length shortened to reveal Shizuka at the end of it. She grabbed at the collar around her neck as she was dragged from a darkened corner, one of her slippers coming off and being left behind. Once he had her directly at his feet, he let the chain fall to the ground. The carpet muted the sound of it's impact. He stared at her with hate as he panted, fire swirling in his vibrant red and blue eyes.

Shizuka coughed as she tried to catch her breath. Rido grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up and shoved his face into hers.

"What are you doing to her? Let her go!"

"You can leave now, Takuma," Rido spat out into Shizuka's face. He smiled wickedly at her.

"No, not until you leave her alone and calm down."

Rido whipped his head back to him and growled. He shook Shizuka, the sounds of the metal links _clinking_ against each other in the process.

"I can do what I want with her because she's my property. So get. The fuck. Out. NOW!"

He blasted Takuma with his power, knocking the young noble back and forcing the door closed behind him. His power as a pureblood, even with being in Senri's body, would be enough to drive Takuma away and to the room next door to leave him in peace. He snarled as he put a seal on the room to block any noise or scents to escape or enter. An interruption was the last thing he wanted at this point.

In the same darkened corner that he had dragged Shizuka out of lay his old six-sided coffin. His real body rested inside and he had ordered her to guard it while he was gone. A seal was placed on his coffin as well as his slave to ensure that no one was able to detect their pureblood auras. Releasing Shizuka and walking up to it, he opened the cover and placed his hand over his real face. With a quick surge of power, he transferred his consciousness back into his own body. Senri's collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Rido stood from his resting place and cracked his neck while wiggling his limbs to get the creaks out. It felt good to be back in his own body, but he wasn't done with using Senri's just yet. He turned back to Shizuka, grabbed her and shook her again.

"Why?!" he shouted at her. "Why is she with someone else?! I'm going to make Kaname pay! I'm going to make Yuuki pay! I'm going to make _you_ pay!"

He pushed her forcibly away, making her land hard and hit her side on the corner of a table. She tried to remain quiet since she didn't have permission to vocalize her pain, but her attempts failed. The noise she made was no more than a small grunt at the initial impact, but it was enough to make the now pacing Rido burn with the desire to inflict further pain.

He bellowed his frustration as he rushed to her and kicked her in her stomach, causing her to fly up and back to hit the wall behind her. The drywall cracked but remained in place by the wallpaper. She had only just landed back on the ground when he was sitting on top of her, grabbing a fistful of the front of her dress and shaking her violently.

"Go ahead and scream, Shizuka. Try to fight back too, I don't care!" Spittle flew at her face as he yelled. "She's mine, do you understand me?! She's mine!" He punched her, splitting her recently healed bottom lip. Blood trickled down her chin and dripped down into the carpet. "Mine!" He continued to hit her, each time proclaiming his ownership of Yuuki.

The sight of Shizuka's blood and pain only excited Rido more and encouraged him to continue his beatings. When he tired of hitting her, he fastened her chains and collar around the bed posts and raped her, all the while yelling at her or calling out Juri's name; damning Haruka and Kaname and making promises to have Yuuki for himself.

By the time the night came to a close, she had a broken nose and jaw as well as several fractured and broken ribs. Her body was weak from blood loss and hunger, bruised, swollen and abused. Throat raw and dry from screaming endlessly, fingers cut and bleeding from trying to claw free and fight back hopelessly. Eyes burned from tears. Every time she fainted from pain, he would give her a small amount of his blood to waken her so she could be aware of his torture.

* * *

The heavy drapes hadn't been closed before the night ended. Honestly, they were the last thing on his mind when he had first entered his bedroom with Yuuki last night. As the sun bore down with violently bright slashes right in his face, he wished he remembered to close them at some point before falling asleep. He grumbled and threw the blanket over his head, turning his back to the window and burying himself deeper into the soft safety his bed offered him.

He had never felt so relaxed in his life. His hand reached out to where the warm body next to him lay. Circling his hand around her waist, he cuddled closer to her, enveloping himself around her and pulling her back to his chest in a hug. He spooned her and kissed her neck as she wiggled back to get closer to him, making cute noises in her sleep.

The feeling of her against him, especially naked, turned him on instantly. He didn't even need to touch her or see her, he just had to think about her and he was aroused. Thoughts of the things they did throughout the night flooded his mind and he smiled, pressing his pelvis against her rear.

"Mmm, Kaname..." she mumbled.

He moved his hand over her belly and cupped one of her breasts, fondling it lightly and rubbing his thumb over her nipple until it hardened. She stirred in her sleep as she moaned softly, rotating her hips and rubbing herself against him. He hardened even more as he closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure.

Being cocooned with her under the covers made him feel like he could pretend they were alone in their own little world. Pretend that no other vampires were trying to hunt her down or manipulate him and his powers. Pretend there were no other worries in the world other than when he could enter her again. How he wished it were that easy.

Yuuki woke up when he nudged at her entrance with his member. She threw an arm over her head and forked her fingers through his hair, bringing his head closer to her neck. He licked his lips in anticipation, knowing what she wanted and wanting to fulfill her wish. He had bitten her a number of times in various places during the night.

Never in a thousand years had he thought that things would end up the way they had. The thought of being physically and emotionally connected to her, as well as being allowed to bite her and drink from her had crossed his mind on several occasions; he just never thought it would come to fruition. For the past two decades, it seemed like he was in a perpetual state of hunger that could never be sated. Until now.

Sliding his member across her folds and spreading her growing wetness across her slit, he bent his knee up and lifted her leg, draping it back over his thigh. He held her leg in place, holding it right under the back of her knee and thigh. His free arm was under her and holding her chest, keeping her close to him. With a quick thrust upward, he entered her completely in one quick motion.

His arm around her body and his hand gripping her leg tightened at the feel of being in her, surrounded by her silky warmth. She clenched her muscles around him and he groaned loudly. She made mewling sounds as she ground her rear against him. He pumped into her quickly as she reached one hand down in between her legs and cupped his sac.

"Ah, Yuuki..." he moaned into her shoulder. "You feel so good." He rubbed his nose against her neck and ear. With his thumb, he traced a bite mark over the top of her breast that he had given her during one of their sessions.

"K-Kaname... please, bite me again. I love the feeling."

So did he. As often as he'd said it to himself, there was nothing he could deny her, and this was one thing he didn't want to ever stop doing. She fondled and massaged him gently as he pinched one of her nipples. Her walls tightened around him. The feeling of the different textures as he slid in and out of her drove him crazy. Both the ridges of her inner walls and the spongy spot way up on her frontal wall.

When he felt her breathing getting heavier and her muscles tightening, he knew she was getting closer to her release. He was fighting himself to wait for her, to finish together. She grabbed his arm across her chest with her free hand as she dug her head into the pillows, screaming in pleasure as her release hit her. He bit into her shoulder and took a swallow of her blood. The desire to continue drinking, to taste the sweetest pleasure he had ever experienced, was so strong that he had to rely on his control to not take too much from her. He lost himself in the rapture between her legs and spilled himself inside of her as she continued to come, giving him the sensation of being milked.

After several minutes of resting and gathering their breath, Kaname pulled himself out of her, licking his bite and closing the holes. He peppered her neck and shoulder with kisses as he hugged her tighter to him. Hot breath tickled her as he whispered into her ear.

"Good morning, Yuuki."

"Mmmm. Morning, Kaname," she responded with a smile.

"I love you."

She giggled and turned around in his arms to face him. She gave him a quick kiss and looked into his reddish brown eyes. "I love you too."

With a heavy sigh, she kissed him again and threw the covers off of her. She sat up and turned from him, scooting to the edge of the bed to get out. He propped himself on an elbow and watched her as she made her way around the room; picking up his discarded clothes and putting it in a pile before grabbing her under garments and folded uniform from a chair.

"Are you leaving?" he asked her. She nodded and walked toward his bathroom. He wasn't sure why she would want to leave, but it disappointed him. It almost hurt his feelings. Throwing the covers off him as well, he got out of bed and followed her.

"Uh uh," she chastised. "You stay here and let me clean up and get dressed, please." She pushed at his chest lightly.

"Why?" He took her hand and kissed it. She opened her mouth to respond when she lost her train of thought as he licked the length of her finger while giving her a smoldering gaze.

"Be...cause. You distract me and I need to get ready and leave." Her breathing hitched as he nibbled on her finger, circling his other arm around her waist and dragging her closer to him.

"Why do you need to leave?" He kissed her wrist and raised it to kiss her forearm.

"I need to check in with the Chairman. I'm sure he's worried about me." She leaned into him and closed her eyes, loving the feeling of being intimate with Kaname.

"I see. You know, there was this mechanism that was invented in the 1870's called a... can you guess what it is?" When she opened her eyes and looked at him confused, he went on. "A telephone. You can just call him, that way you can stay here with me."

And be safe. Rido was still a problem, no matter how well their night went together. He considered the outcome lucky that she hadn't been awakened fully by her uncle's ploys. As long as Rido was still alive, Yuuki would never be completely safe from him. At least if she were by his side or close by, he could protect her better.

"Ha, ha, Kaname. Very funny. I know I can call, but he'll want to see me to make sure."

"You don't want to stay here with me?" He looked hurt.

"I do, don't get me wrong." She cupped his cheek with her hand and looked at him. "But Kaname, I can't ignore my responsibilities as a Perfect. I need to continue patrolling at least until all the students have left. Besides, I can't stay in your bedroom forever."

"That's debatable."

"Kaname!"

"Okay, okay. Just because we're now lovers doesn't mean I'm going to control you or force you to do things you don't want to do, Yuuki. I want you to be happy, but I also want to ensure you are safe at all times."

"That's fine, that's understandable. I'll be safe."

"Stay away from Shiki for now. He's not himself. I want Aidou to remain as your shadow until further notice. Promise me you wont go anywhere without him."

"Okay, but is that really necessary? What's going on? Even the Chairman said to be on the look out for rogue vampires."

"It's nothing. Just a precaution, Yuuki. I want to make sure you're safe." He took a strand of her hair and ran it through his fingers. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you..." he trailed off, almost as if talking to himself. His brows scrunched together with worry.

"Alright, that's fine," she tried to appease him. "I like Aidou anyway."

"You like him, eh?"

"Yeah, he's grown on him." She shrugged.

"Sounds similar to what he said about you. Just remember whose lover you are."

"Uh huh." She gave him a teasing smile and pushed him out of the bathroom, closing the door and leaving him in his bedroom alone. The shower was turned on and the sound of the spraying water could be heard.

"You know, Yuuki," he called out, face close to the door. "It's better to preserve water so maybe we should take a shower together. It would be more time efficient."

She giggled and he was sure he could 'hear' her rolling her eyes at him, if such a thing were possible. He rested his hand and head against the door and closed his eyes for a moment to truly absorb the turn of events.

It all seemed so normal and perfect. Waking up next to her and making love to her, having a conversation and teasing each other, sharing living quarters. He wanted it forever. The whole nine yards. He wanted Yuuki as his wife, to spend all their free time together and enjoy and experience everything as a couple. But the burning issue was her longevity. For her to remain as a human meant she only had a handful of decades left versus his near immortality.

What was he going to do after she died? His heart skipped a beat and constricted in pain at the thought of her dead. She would no longer be smiling or breathing. She would be cold and lifeless, gone forever. And what if she were in an accident before growing old and dying? What about cancers or diseases or any of the other hundreds of things humans were so frail and weak against?

The only way to overcome that would be to awaken her to her vampiric side. But could he do that to her? What of his promise to Juri? What of her sacrifice to turn her into a human? She should live as such, which would mean she should die as such.

Kaname knew he was becoming more and more selfish and needy, more dependent on her. He turned away from the door and went to his wardrobe to gather some clothes and wait for Yuuki to finish. What would he do if she didn't want to be a vampire?

He concluded that in the end, it didn't matter. He would either be selfish and turn her so he could enjoy eternity with the one and only person he loved. Or let her die as a human and enjoy what little time they had together. If she remained a human and died, then... maybe he could find a way to end his life as well to join her in the afterlife. Besides, there really was no point or reason in his long and bloody life before she entered it.

* * *

**A/N: Things will start to pick up soon. Also, for those missing Zero, he'll be back soon. The fateful meeting between Zero and Shizuka?!**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	12. Tormented Past

**A/N: 'Ello.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

As the morning progressed, Kaname was conferring with Seiren about reports of vampires converging together as well as newly discovered details about Rido. If he remained in Senri's body, then his power wouldn't be as strong, which meant Takuma following him around and keeping him out of trouble shouldn't be that difficult a task. Or at least he hoped. Yuuki had already left with Hanabusa an hour ago and he had debated calling her a dozen times to check on her. He at least wanted to hear her voice, but he had to remind himself constantly to not be clingy. He chuckled at that thought, an old pureblood being clingy. With the change in their relationship, he missed her incredibly and found it hard to concentrate on his work for long before his thoughts wandered back to her.

Seiren was relaying information about something. He missed half of her report already when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts of his love. It was only then that he realized the presence of the vampire behind the door. Shaking his head, he mentally reprimanded himself for not being more aware of his surroundings. What good would he be to Yuuki if he wasn't paying attention and she ended up getting hurt because of it?

"Come in."

Ruka opened the door and entered. "May I speak with you privately, please?"

"Keep an eye out, Seiren. Let me know if you hear anything else. And also, please gather the remaining students in the foyer and wait for me." The stoic vampire nodded before leaving his office and closing the door behind her. He turned to Ruka. "What is it?"

"K-Kaname, I..." She fidgeted and took a step toward him.

"Yes?" He leaned back in his chair and tapped on the table. What did she want this time? He was tired of the awkwardness that resulted any time they were alone together. Not once had he taken anything from her, and he was sure he had made his feelings for her—or lack thereof—clear throughout the years. He wanted things to return back to how they were before she developed feelings for him. Pleasant, calm, indifferent.

She walked around his desk and knelt in front of him, placing her hands on his knees. He looked down at her with a raised brow and listened to her heart beat faster.

"I've never really come out and said it directly so I want to do it now. I have feelings for you, Kaname. I'm sure you know that. I love you. I want to offer you my blood to sustain you, my body to use to pleasure you and my love to comfort and support you."

She looked up at him and waited for a response. He said nothing, staring at her emotionless and calm, just like he always was when he wasn't thinking about Yuuki. Ruka took a deep breath and leaned up to face Kaname, her lips hovering over his, hands now on his thighs. He knew the position they were in looked bad and he was sure if anyone saw then they would misunderstand. He also knew that if anyone tried something like this with Yuuki, he would probably lose his sense of control and rip them apart.

When she leaned in to close the distance between them and plant a kiss on his lips, he turned his head to the side and grabbed her biceps to hold her back.

"Enough, Ruka. You know my feelings are not returned. Why do you force yourself like this?"

"Please, Kaname. Even if you don't have feelings for me now, I'm sure over time you will. I'm better for you than a pathetic, weak human like Yuuki anyway. She is nothing when compared to us."

She pushed against his hold to get closer and tried to kiss him again. His grip on her arms bit into her flesh and she squeaked in pain.

"Say what you wish of me. Say what you wish about humans in general. But if you dare say anything about Yuuki like that again, you will regret it. That pathetic, weak human is the one that _I_ love. Isn't it obvious, Ruka? I've been with her her entire life. Why do you think that is?" He forcefully pushed her back, causing her to fall on her butt. She held her hands out to the sides to catch herself. "If you wish to remain here at the academy and by my side, then do so in the capacity of protector, follower and potential friend. Rid yourself of these thoughts of you and I together. It will never happen. If you can't, then either keep them to yourself or leave."

Ruka looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She was hurt at his denial and embarrassed by her actions. She should have listened to Akatsuki and Hanabusa to save herself the pain, but she couldn't stomach the thought of Kaname with a human like Yuuki. What was it about Yuuki that made him want her instead of someone of his own kind?

"I understand," she mumbled. He sighed and held his hand out to her and she took it, helping her to stand. She patted herself and fixed her uniform skirt, looking everywhere but at Kaname.

"Come. I have an announcement I need to make to the remaining Night Class students."

He turned and walked out of the room without waiting for her. He went down the hallway and stood at the top of the stairs, hand on the railing, as he looked down at the awaiting vampires. There weren't many left like the humans. In fact, with Hanabusa following Yuuki around, Takuma with 'Senri' and Ruka behind him, there was only Akatsuki and Rima left. What with Senri acting as a vessel for Rido, there was no point in telling him anything. That also included Takuma, since he was following and protecting Senri's body. He had already told Hanabusa in the morning before he assigned him to look after Yuuki again.

"Well," he said as he walked down the stairs slowly. "I've asked Seiren to gather you here to let you know that I have taken Yuuki as my lover."

Ruka gasped behind him as Akatsuki's eyes widened. Rima simply smiled, not really caring who Kaname decided as a lover so long as it wasn't her. Seiren remained impassive with her hands behind her back in a seemingly relaxed stance.

"What?!" Ruka shouted from behind him. She stormed down the stairs and stood next to Akatsuki so she could face Kaname. Akatsuki placed his hand on her lower back as a warning to watch her temper.

"Do I need to repeat myself? I don't mind, really." Kaname smiled. "Yuuki and I are lovers."

"Congratulations, President," Rima stated. Akatsuki nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. I ask, if I may be so selfish to do so, that you look after her and take care of her as you would with me. She's very precious to me."

"Lord Kuran," Akatsuki said, stepping forward. "I'm sure I can speak for the rest of us here when I say that we will protect Cross like we would you. Our lives are hers to be used as a sacrifice if need be."

"Thank you, Kain."

"But if I may add this... we would have done so if you just asked without going through the pretense of being lovers. I'm sure we've proven throughout the years that we are loyal to you. You never ask for help from anyone, so I understand why you wouldn't. Just know that as you've protected us, we will protect you and your own."

"Again, thank you. But know that Yuuki and I being lovers is no pretense. Keep that in mind. Rido is getting bolder, so I'd like for you to assist your cousin as Yuuki's shadow throughout the day."

"What about us?" Ruka asked after the initial shock of his news wore off, pointing between herself and Rima. She may not have been happy about Kaname's choice, but if she wanted to remain by his side, then she decided she had to stop thinking about herself and try to help Kaname in his time of need. This would also help her get over her desire to want to be with him. Akatsuki gave her a reassuring nod which she found comforting.

"I want you two to keep an eye out for Rido and anything else suspicious. Report to me directly if you find anything. Also, keep your distance from Shiki, he's not himself."

Akatsuki noticed Rima stiffen but didn't pay too much attention to it. He was secretly happy and ecstatic that Kaname had chosen Yuuki as a lover. He thought it would be easy if Kaname chose Ruka since she was a beautiful noble from a prestigious family. It only made sense to him since she already wore her feelings for him on her collar. The fact that he didn't choose Ruka made him think that he may have a chance with her once her wounds of being denied healed. He'd be there for her every step of the way.

"Lord Kuran, do you love Cross?" Akatsuki wanted to know since having a lover without being in love was possible.

"Yes, I do. More than anything."

It made him wonder what it was about the seemingly ordinary, human Yuuki that fascinated Kaname to the point of being in love with her. Or maybe that's just how love worked. One person could find someone amazing while another didn't. All he had to do was think of his feelings for Ruka. He'd have to keep an eye out and perhaps question Hanabusa in private if he'd noticed anything special about Yuuki. It just didn't add up that Kaname would be in love with her _and_ Rido would want her for himself.

* * *

"Yuuki!" Kaien yelled out. He jumped up and over his office desk and ran to her with his arms spread open to embrace her in a hug. She moved away right at the last second, causing him to hug thin air and lose his momentum, falling to the ground in a flourish. "Umph!"

"Hello, Chairman."

"Call me 'daddy', my sweet daughter!" He stood up and turned to face her. He examined her complexion and her stance. She seemed fine, whole, not going crazy. That was always a good thing.

"Um, okay. I'm here to check in."

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Uh, I said I'm here t—"

"That's weird! I thought I heard something just now."

Yuuki looked at him with a confused expression. He was turning his head from side to side with a hand over his brows, as if shielding himself from a non-existent light.

"What're y—"

"There it is again! It sounds an awful lot like the sound of my daughter. But that's strange, because I know my daughter would call her loving and adoring father 'daddy' instead of going on about nothing."

Yuuki's shoulders slumped forward as she huffed. "Daddy... I'm here to check in," she said in a monotone and defeated voice. Kaien Cross squealed like a little girl and clapped his hands as his eyes became teary. He started to sniffle.

"That's my baby girl! I'm so proud right now!"

"Anyway, as you can see, I'm doing fine. I'll go do patrols for a little while." She turned to leave.

"Wait, Yuuki! Are you really doing okay after what happened yesterday?"

Yuuki flushed as she thought of Kaname and the things they did. "Oh yeah, I'm... good."

"Why are you turning red? Are you getting sick? Did something happen? Did you get hurt?"

"Uh..." She gave a hesitant chuckle before running out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

The phone rang just then and he turned back to his desk to answer it. "Yellow?"

"Who answers the phone with 'yellow'?" an angry voice questioned.

"Who answers a question with a question when being questioned?" Kaien retorted. He heard a heavy sigh at the other end.

"Well, Cross. It seems you haven't changed one bit."

"I'd like to think I've calmed down quite a bit since my wild days, thank you very much. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, Toga?"

"I'm calling to give you a heads up. There is a lot of chatter right now about _Level E _vampires gathering into groups. It's a little unheard of considering the degradation of their mental state. It's causing the Hunter Association to be on edge. Since you have oodles of vampires as well as a pureblood at your academy, I figured you'd want a heads up."

"You're worried about the vampires here at Cross Academy?"

"Please, don't make me laugh. I'm warning you so you can keep the humans there safe. If these groups of vampires happen to converge there because of Kuran, then who do you think they'll attack as their food source? They're not on pills like your guinea pigs."

"And if they decide to come here, what will the Hunter Association do? Will you come to help if they attack?"

"Of course. It's our job as vampire hunters to kill vampires."

"But will you only kill the _Level E's_ or every vampire here? As in, my vampire students." Silence greeted him, and he knew that Toga was debating on how to answer the question without lying. "Well, thanks for the update."

"Yup."

The phone clicked, indicating that Toga Yagari had disconnected the phone. Kaien put the receiver back in it's cradle and sat down, thinking of the information he had. He actually already knew there was a storm brewing when Kaname told him about Rido's arrival. He had to make sure the rest of the remaining students were able to leave without an incident. If there was a way to rush them out without causing suspicions or at least somehow setting up living accommodations until their families could get them, he would have already done so.

He left his office and went into his bedroom to check on his anti-vampire weapon for what seemed like the millionth time. There was an uneasy feeling he had which made him think things were going to go south quickly. He decided it would be best to carry his sword with him at all times, just in case, and pretend that it was a cane.

Yuuki looked well, though if the bite marks on her neck were any indication of last night's events, it was obvious that her relationship with Kaname had reached a new level. Which only meant having to put out more fires with Zero if he found out. He hoped Kaname knew what he was doing when it came to Yuuki.

He let out a heavy sigh. Was it so bad to wish for both his children to be happy and without worry?

* * *

She woke with the feeling of her hair being moved. Being awake was something she didn't long for and she wished she could fall back asleep. Asleep meant no pain. It meant not having to feel the tortures that she was put through. Peace. It brought her a sense of peace, regardless of how short lived it was.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Rido sitting on the bed and combing her hair. She didn't say anything, preferring to remain quiet until she knew what kind of mood he was in. Last night's beating was far worse than anything he had done before. He had always been hot and cold with her, unpredictable. All she had to do was exist and it was reason enough for him to hurt her. This is how she had lived her life ever since Rido entered it.

The engagement between her and Rido was something that was done forty-two years ago. He never really showed her much interest even then, but at least he wasn't abusive like how he had been the past three decades. When they first got engaged, he was civil, polite; though it felt like there was always an underlying feeling of animosity. At the time, she hadn't known what for, but she quickly learned about his jealousy toward his younger brother, Haruka, for being with their younger sister, Juri.

The three siblings, who were thousands of years old, were in a constant tiff. Both Rido and Haruka were in love with Juri. Juri falling in love and choosing Haruka over Rido was when Rido started turning into the monster he was now. He hid it well from the majority of the vampire world, but she knew. He had been honing his violent skills for at least two thousand years.

There really weren't any feelings for Rido even when the engagement was announced. It was more of a political arrangement since they were both single and purebloods. She didn't have any family of her own to mate with, as was the tradition of purebloods, and the Kuran's having only three siblings was what created the mess they were all in now.

The first ten years of their engagement seemed normal in regards to dating and getting to know one another and eventually living together. It wasn't until after she moved into his mansion in Sendai that it all started. First it was the occasional slap with profuse apologies afterward. Then it slowly escalated to a punch or a shove until it went out to a full blown beating. She had tried for years to fight back and leave, but he was always able to overpower her somehow. The Kuran blood line was stronger and more powerful than hers.

Over the next two decades, he had honed his skills on her and 'trained' her to be the puppet-like slave she was now. Ten years ago, she got her reprieve when Rido found out about Yuuki and left to steal the poor child for himself. Servants and followers had brought an almost decimated Rido back to the mansion, having lost his battle with Kaname.

That would have been the perfect time to run away for good, but for some reason she couldn't. At that point, she felt like she truly did deserve everything that happened to her. Abuse was funny like that. Rido spent the next four years drinking from her on a daily basis to regain his form and strength.

It was six years ago that she met a servant at the mansion and fell in love with him instantly. Rido had gained his physical body back and was taking out his anger and frustrations on her ten fold. It was after one of his violent outbursts that left her bloody and limp in a hallway. The servant had waited until Rido left the mansion before picking her up and taking care of her.

He bathed her and washed the blood and dirt away, clothed her with the utmost care and gave her blood from the kitchen to help sate some of her hunger and help her heal some of her injuries. He had placed her on soft cushions and remained by her side, holding her hand and petting her hair. She stared at him the entire time, transfixed by his kindness and stunned by his actions. She was not only a complete stranger to him, she was also a pureblood vampire and fiance of the most destructive being on the planet.

As the hours went by, he remained by her side and refused to leave. It wasn't until she cried out in pain from trying to move to get more comfortable that she noticed a tear had escaped the servant's eye. This man, this complete stranger, shed a tear for her. He gently had moved her into a sitting position and hugged her and for the first time in a very long time, she cried.

It was because of this man that she was able to escape Rido and runaway. They left and traveled far, always remaining under the radar so as not to be found. They didn't live a glamorous life, and he was human, but she was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. Eventually, she turned him into a vampire and there wasn't anything more she could wish for.

That was, until four years ago, when the Kiryu hunters somehow tracked them down and killed her one and only source of happiness. Her love somehow made it on their hit list and she found out too late. By the time she had returned to the small house they were staying at, he was already dead. A pile of ash left for her to come home to.

She went crazy, to say the least. Two years of happiness was all she was allotted? Revenge was what she needed. She hunted down the Kiryu family and tortured them. She bit the oldest of the two little boys so he could suffer some of the pain she felt. He would slowly turn into a vampire and then eventually degrade to a _Level E_, and that could be years worth of pain. The younger twin she toyed with before eventually killing him. And it was only then, after having the Kiryu hunters watch her mistreat their children did she kill them.

It wasn't long afterward that she was found by one of Rido's followers, wandering around aimlessly in the woods, covered in Kiryu blood and in a near craze. All in all, she counted it to be thirty years of suffering Rido's wrath. For him to be lovingly combing her hair now meant he wanted something of her.

Her entire body ached and it was difficult for her to breathe. The worst pain wasn't what he gave her during the night, but the constant gnawing hunger. He didn't let her have blood often and when he did, it was usually just a small amount to keep her awake or to heal something quickly. She felt like she was being eaten alive, inside out. She rather have all her ribs broken than feel that pain in her stomach, the ache in her gums, the clawing feeling in her throat.

"Oh, the princess has awoken. I was wondering how long you'd be asleep." Rido smiled at her sweetly. Her stomach rolled at the sight. "I have a gift for you, Shizuka."

She didn't want any of his gifts. His version of gifts didn't match the definition of the word. "Thank you for getting me a gift, Master."

He stood and put the comb on a table before picking up a white box and returning to the bed. He opened it and moved around white tissue paper before taking out the item inside. It was a beautiful white kimono with a lavender sash. It was the same style and cut of the one she wore when she killed the Kiryus.

"This is for you."

She stared at it in awe. If Rido knew the origin of the original kimono then she was sure he wouldn't present her with one now. Though her and her lover didn't live in luxury, he insisted on working multiple jobs and saving as much of his earned money as possible. When he had enough, he had purchased the kimono for her. She adored it, and seeing the replica brought back so many memories.

"Thank you, Master," she whispered.

"You're very welcome. Now, I have another gift for you. I want you to drink my blood and heal yourself quickly. Your second gift is that Kiryu boy you were so fascinated with all those years ago. He's here, and I want you to torture him. Bring out his hunger and make him suffer. I want to use him against Kaname. It seems that he took advantage of my gift yesterday, so I think it's time I stepped up my game."

Rido cut his wrist with a nail and placed it on her lips. She drank it greedily, and when the wound closed she bit into his flesh. The blood didn't sate her, she didn't love Rido, but it was much needed. Her broken bones slowly started knitting back together, cuts began to close and heal and bruises disappeared.

When he decided she had enough, he tugged his wrist away from her. She licked her lips and took a deep breath, enjoying the fact it didn't hurt to do so anymore. Her lovely shade of pink eyes shined in a way they hadn't in years. Rido stood and went back to his coffin. He transferred his consciousness back into Senri's body.

"Alright, my dear. Let's get you cleaned up and changed."

It was time to play.

* * *

**A/N: G'bye.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	13. Growing Hunger

**A/N: You guys are all awesome.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Rido was humming as he walked down a shaded path outside. He was back in his son's body and he wanted to see what kind of trouble he could get into. After last night, he felt rejuvenated and full of energy that needed to be burned. He also wanted to watch how Shizuka would play with Zero. He had gotten her cleaned up and changed not that long ago and ordered her to find him.

Takuma was still following him. The little brat wasn't much of a conversationalist either. He spent the entire time walking ten paces behind him and any time he turned to look at the young vampire, he was greeted with a scowl. Kids these days, such bad manners. No respect.

"Senri!" a female voice called out. Rido turned to the direction of the sound and smiled. He had been waiting for this. The female that his son fancied. There was fun to be had with the possibilities.

"Rima, go back to the dorm!" Takuma yelled.

"Shut up, Taku-Taku. I want to play." Rido gave him a threatening glare.

Rima closed the distance and stood a few feet away from them. "When did you get back, Senri?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure. I missed you, sweetheart." He walked up to her and circled his arm around her waist. When Takuma opened his mouth to protest, he gave him another glare.

"You missed me? Since when?" She eyed him strangely.

"Since always. Do you want to go back to the dorm with me?"

He kissed her neck. As a response, she pushed him away and jumped back, at the ready in a fighting stance.

"You're not Senri."

"Ooh? Why does everyone know this? What the fuck kind of fun am I supposed to have if you all ruin it?"

"Get out of his body."

"No. I don't feel like it."

"I'll make you."

An electrical current hummed around Rima's body, little sparks of electricity shot out here and there. She glared at him and held herself ready. Rido laughed and clapped his hands together. With a quick slice, he cut his thumb and allowed a few drops of blood to pool out. He extended his power over his blood and turned the drops into a long whip.

"You know you can't win against me, right?" He lashed out with his blood whip and landed a hit against her cheek. A thin line of blood appeared and dripped down to her jaw.

"Tch, to mar a model's face is criminal."

"Stop this!" Takuma yelled.

Rido lashed out again with his whip. Rima jumped up and did a back flip, the whip just barely missing her and instead slicing some of her uniform skirt. She landed a few feet back and smirked. With a surge of her own power, she shot a bolt of electricity out toward Rido. He didn't bother moving and let it hit him. It shocked him, his body going rigid as it convulsed for a moment.

When the current left his body, he dropped his head and gasped before he started laughing. He threw his hand out and forced the whip to lash out at Rima. It caught her ankle and wrapped around it. She threw another bolt of lightning at him and he took it again. This time, his body shuddered as he closed his eyes half way. His mouth parted and he licked his lips.

"Mmm, that feels good, Rima. You know what else will feel good?" He tugged his hand back, causing his whip to return a little and pull Rima's foot out from under her. She fell backward and landed on the ground with a _thud_. Rido ran up and jumped on top of her, pinning her arms to her sides.

"I bet you would feel good. Tell me, why hasn't my son fucked you yet? I bet you'd feel great. I'll do you two a favor and do it for him, while in his body." He made his whip wrap around her neck and tighten. Rima tried to buckle him off of her but couldn't. The pressure around her neck was getting worse as it became more difficult to breathe. The whip broke her skin and her own blood starting to seep out. Her face reddened and her movements became slower as he continued to strangle her.

The whip disintegrated, turning into little, red shards of energy and blew away with the breeze. Rido was tackled off of her. He rolled a few times with another body before he stopped. Turning to see who it was, he saw Takuma standing and looking angry. The noble reached to his side but stopped, as if realizing he didn't have something he was going for.

"Leave her alone, Rido."

"You?" Rido stood slowly as well. "You think you can stop me?"

"I may not be able to use my power against you while in Senri's body, and I may not have my sword with me, but I can still put up a fight if I have to."

Rima had curled to her side and was coughing for air, her hands around her neck to stop the bleeding until it healed on its own. Takuma looked down at her and then back at Rido.

"Why don't you go take care of her? I'm sure I'll be fine all by myself." He smirked at him.

Takuma felt he had no choice. He couldn't leave Rima alone in the middle of a walkway hurt. He knelt next to her and cradled her to his body, standing and turning toward the Moon Dormitory.

"Stay out of trouble. I'll be coming back to find you once I drop her off."

Rido smiled as he saluted Takuma and put his hands back in his pocket. He started humming again as he strolled down the path. Who said only his Shizuka could have fun toying with someone?

* * *

There were a few students milling about in the hallways as Yuuki made her way down the corridor to her room. Hanabusa was following behind her, alert for anything out of the ordinary. He took his role as protector very seriously, especially after the trust that Kaname had placed in him. To say he was happy about Kaname's progress with Yuuki was an understatement.

When he first saw Yuuki that morning, wearing a little blush and looking down, trying to hide her neck with her hair, he had smacked her forehead. She had looked up and asked him why he did that, and he told her to never be ashamed of her love or what she did with the man she loved.

She had smiled at him and they ended that conversation with a high five as they both giggled. Hanabusa didn't know why he giggled so much when he was around Yuuki. It actually kind of disturbed him a little. Maybe he was living vicariously through her. Not that he wanted to _be _with Kaname, but it certainly must have been something special to have one person love you unconditionally and have that love returned.

Not that he minded the ladies that threw themselves at him. Sure he loved the attention and liked them, but it was all part of the act. They didn't love him for him, but because of the appeal he had. Maybe some day he'd find someone special to him. As it were, he was now following Yuuki as they made it to her room.

Yuuki opened the door and walked in, waiving Hanabusa to enter as well.

"Oh! Yori! I didn't know you were still here."

Sayori was sitting at her desk with her hand cupping her chin, elbow resting on the table. She didn't bother looking up as she continued to draw little circles on a piece of paper with her pencil. She looked a little unkempt which was unusual for her. Her hair was a little unruly and she had shadows under her eyes.

"Yup, still here. I'll be gone soon though, just waiting on my parents."

"Are you okay?" Yuuki knelt down next to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. When Sayori didn't answer her, Yuuki shook her a little. "Yori?"

Sayori jumped up a little, startled. Turning to look at her best friend, she broke down and started crying, leaning forward and hugging Yuuki painfully.

Hanabusa didn't have a clue what to do. He was surprised, to say the least. Was this what being on a cycle meant? Erratic behavior? Random emotions popping out of no where? And just why did he have to be in the room right now with her still on her period anyway? Didn't they realize how cruel and disgusting that was for him? He shuffled his feet a little and took a quiet step back toward the door.

"It hurts, Yuuki."

"I know, it's okay. It'll be okay. Not now and maybe not soon, but it will be. You have to be strong."

What in the world were they going on about? Didn't it only last a couple days? Surely the pain couldn't be that bad, but what did he know about it? Hanabusa stopped his attempt to escape and leaned his head to the side, wondering what they were talking about.

"How can you love and hate someone or something so much at the same time?" she asked between sobs.

He loved ice cream, but he hated eating a gallon of it in one sitting. There was just no controlling the urge sometimes!

"I want to pay him back and hurt him, Yuuki. That's not like me and it scares me."

Eh? What and who was she talking about? Hanabusa leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

Yuuki sighed. "I know, but it's not worth it. You'll just be lowering yourself to his level." She rubbed her friend's back in a comforting manner before there was a knock on the door. Yuuki looked up at Hanabusa and he nodded, turning to it and answering. Akatsuki was standing there, looking back and forth down the hallway.

"What're you doing here?"

"Lord Kuran sent me to help you protect Cross. We got the news just now about them being lovers." Hanabusa nodded and moved out of the way to let his cousin enter the room. Akatsuki shook his head and peeked in instead. "I'll stay out here on look out while you're inside. But first, I want to ask Cross something."

"She's kind of busy right now." He pointed behind him to the two girls.

"Then you take over for her. You're the Idol to women, aren't you?"

Hanabusa stared at his cousin with an incredulous expression. "When have I ever dealt with a crying woman before?"

"Shut up and just do it," he whispered. He spoke up a little louder, "Cross, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Yuuki nodded and let go of Sayori, reassuring her it would only be a moment. Akatsuki closed the door behind him when Yuuki left, leaving Hanabusa alone with a human female who was on her period and emotionally unstable. He sighed nervously.

"Uh, it'll be okay." He patted her back awkwardly.

Sayori looked up at Hanabusa and lost herself in his electric blue eyes. New tears sprung loose. She didn't want to be near another man right now, especially not alone and in her bedroom.

He looked down at her and became confused by the pain and sadness in her hazel eyes. There was an urge inside him to reach out to her and comfort her, to find out what caused her such pain and to erase it for her. It actually kind of freaked him out a little. He never felt anything like that before.

He took Yuuki's position of kneeling next to Sayori and looked up at her. "What happened to you, Wakaba?" he whispered.

She looked down at him, no longer sobbing, but tears still spilling from her eyes.

"Zero happened to me."

Hanabusa frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"He... he used me. For sex."

"Wh-what?" Hanabusa stuttered, eyes wide with surprise. He didn't know that Zero was like that.

"I told Yuuki but... there's something I didn't tell her and it's eating away at me. I have to get it off my chest. Can I please tell you? Can you promise not to tell her?"

The need was clear in her face. Hanabusa nodded. He actually wanted to know at this point.

"I told Yuuki that Zero used me for sex and that he had no feelings for me, and that's true. But what I didn't tell her is that he's in love with her, and only used me since I'm her best friend. I... I couldn't tell her that part and it's driving me crazy."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Kiryu is in love with Yuuki?" Hanabusa asked, shocked. Sayori nodded. "How could someone do that to you?" He leaned up and brushed some of her hair aside. As if Zero needed any other reason to be disliked, he just added another to Hanabusa's list.

Sayori stilled at his gesture and he realized too late what he'd done. He was sure she didn't want to be touched by another man at this point. He dropped his hand and apologized. She shook her head and told him it was fine.

"Just... believe in karma. He'll get what's owed to him eventually. You're too young and your life as a human is too short to spend your time worrying about him. And you're beautiful. He doesn't deserve you. You'll find someone else that's much better than him that will treat you right."

Where did _that_ come from and why was he saying those things to her? She sniffled and looked down at him, a little confused but looking a little relieved as well.

"Thank you," she whispered. She opened her mouth to say something else when the door opened and Yuuki walked back in.

They talked for a little longer as Hanabusa left and stood in the hallway with his cousin. He was pondering his actions and words when his shoulder was nudged.

"Quit spacing out. How are you going to protect Cross that way?"

"Oh, uh. Sorry, Akatsi."

"We'll be going to look for Kiryu after she's done in there. Cross said he needs to help with the patrols and she hasn't seen him all morning."

At the mention of Zero's name and the knowledge that he would have to look at him, Hanabusa's blood started to boil. He shifted uncomfortably, not exactly sure why he felt such discomfort. He never really liked Zero because of the way he treated Kaname, that was obvious. But this feeling was different, new. He didn't like it at all.

* * *

The light breeze that swept into the barn shifted the hay and made it rustle. Every now and again a horse in one of the stables would neigh or shift around, whipping its tail back and forth. The barn was cool and shaded and offered an oasis from the blazing sun outside. It was quite, calm, serene. The long grass outside would make a wave when the breeze was low enough. The trees swayed gently. Birds chirped, a few early cicadas sang. It was picture perfect.

Except for Zero. His surroundings weren't even registering to him. He lay on his hands and knees, in the hay, panting for air. He had hardly gotten any sleep after Kaname had taken Yuuki with him last night. His hunger was getting worse and his neck was constantly itchy. His mind was racing and he was sweating. All he could think about was the dryness in this throat.

He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small box of blood tablets. Half of them spilled out when he opened it from his hands shaking. He emptied the rest of what was left into his mouth, trying to wet it with his saliva. It wasn't working. The hunger was still there.

Coughing and spitting, he rummaged through the hay frantically, trying to find the pills that fell. Some were found and he grabbed them, downing them quickly. Not bothering to let them dissolve first, he swallowed them whole and waited. And waited. And waited.

Nothing. Nothing was changing. The urges were still there and they were only getting stronger. He shouted in anger and punched at the ground repeatedly until his knuckles were bloody. The horses started shuffling around, uneasy. The scent of his own blood made him shudder and he raised his fist to his mouth slowly.

His body swayed back and forth as his resolve wavered. His eyes lost focus momentarily as his tongue slowly dabbed at a small drop of blood. With a quick surge of pain, he doubled over as his stomach tightened and roiled. He started coughing and dry heaving, his throat burning and constricting. He fought for air.

"Does it hurt?" a woman's voice asked.

He took a few shaky breaths before opening his eyes and looking toward the direction of the voice. He couldn't see clearly, everything was a blur. Going in an out of focus. There at the entrance of the barn stood a tall woman in a white kimono, leaning against the entrance's frame. Her long, white hair floated behind her as the breeze played with it. She remained impassive as she stared at him, as if the pain he was going through didn't matter to her.

"Who..." he coughed and rolled over, another bout of pain rushing through him.

"Who am I? Can't you feel it, Zero?"

His neck was burning. The tattoo over the bite marks that he had received four years ago glowed a violent red and started to pulse. His heart beat faster as he broke out in a cold sweat. Nausea threatened to cripple him. He started scratching at his neck, trying to claw out the infection he felt he had.

"Tsk tsk, Zero. Do you think it's that easy? You can't wipe away my mark on you. Do you remember that night?"

She pushed herself away from the frame and entered the barn. The horses started beating their hooves against the ground, wishing they could escape their stalls. When she reached where he lay, she stood in front of him and looked down with her head cocked to the side. Her presence was driving Zero further and further into madness. He tried to reach for his gun, which rested in its holster inside his jacket, when his hand froze.

"Do you remember, Zero, that fateful night four years ago?" She knelt in front of him and moved some of the hair out of his face. "Your parents killed the man I loved. My savior. Do you remember what I did to them? What I did to your brother?"

"Get away from me!" he shouted. His body trembled.

"Are you recalling the way my fangs pierced into your flesh and drank from you? How I suffocated your brother after hanging him upside down from your dining room chandelier and played with him? Or when your parents repeatedly cried out at what I did to you two? Do you remember when I killed them all in front of you?"

Zero tried to push himself away, but he didn't have the strength to do so. His entire body hurt, it felt like fire was coursing through his veins and burning him alive. She started humming a sad melody, the same one she did when she was playing with her parents and brother before she killed them. The throbbing in his neck and head became stronger and louder.

"Stop it... stop it... stop it!"

"It hurts, doesn't it? Tell me, Zero. Tell me how much. You have no idea what I've been through. Your family took everything away from me. Your family is the reason I was imprisoned again when I had escaped and found my small slice of happiness. You Kiryus ruined me!"

"No... it wasn't... me." He coughed again as he gripped his stomach.

"No, it wasn't. It was your parents. But my love never did anything wrong to be put on your hit list. He shouldn't have been killed. He was innocent. Of course I want you to suffer. I want you to suffer like I've suffered.

You think every vampire is evil and deserves to die, Zero. I saw it in your eyes then, even as a little boy. And I can see it in your eyes now. You haven't changed at all. How many lives do you plan on ruining, just like your parents?"

"Fuck... you," he panted.

"Hm. What I'm about to do next is not because I was ordered to, although it does benefit that request. What I'm going to do is for me. Understand that I have to do this, Zero. If I do this, then there can be an end for me in sight. This is entirely a self serving action. You may not understand it, but that doesn't matter. You don't need to."

She pushed Zero down by his shoulder and leaned over him. Exerting a small amount of her pureblood power, she left him powerless and frozen in place. She may not have been able to do this when he was younger, but since he was a vampire now, she could do whatever she wanted. Not like she couldn't do anything she wanted all those years ago.

He lay there, trembling from pain and staring up at her wide eyed. He watched as her head lowered to his neck. How her long, straight hair cascaded around them. He heard the soft silk of her kimono brush against itself as she moved; the faint sound of the horses as if they were far, far away. Everything was fading out and focusing on her, as if she were the pinpoint of light in the black hole he was in. He became hypersensitive, seeing all the small pores on her creamy skin, hearing every heavy breath she took, listening to the thundering sound of his blood and the steady beat of her heart.

With great force, he fought the hold on his body, trying to break free of her power. She chuckled once before she closed the gap and bit into his neck again. Her fangs pierced the same spot she had bitten four years ago. He heard every gulp of blood she took from him, felt the burning in his neck from where her mouth was. The feeling of losing control was overwhelming. He could feel himself tumbling down the rabbit hole. His sense of right and wrong, of his awareness, was slipping.

A monster. He felt himself turning into the very monster he wanted to kill. No longer was he Zero, the human turned vampire, the vampire hunter. He was turning into Zero, the mindless, hungry _Level E_.

When she was done drinking from him, she lifted her head and smiled down at him. She didn't bother closing the puncture marks in his neck. She watched the blood drip down and stain his collar.

"This is part one of my plan, Zero. You'll do part two all by yourself. And part three..." she closed her eyes and smiled. "Part three will come soon enough."

She stood and left him there, lying in the hay in his own sweat and blood, as he stared up at the high wooden beams with shallow pants. The burning turned into an inferno. The hunger started taking over.

* * *

By the time they left the dormitory, it was well into the afternoon and the sun was coloring the sky in shades of pink and blue. The air was cooler and there was no one in sight any which way she looked. She had tucked Sayori in to bed for an early night after talking with her for a while. Much as Yuuki didn't want to, she told Sayori about her and Kaname's relationship change. Sayori was extremely happy and thanked her for taking her mind off of Zero.

Speaking of Zero, Yuuki was now on her way to the barn to see if he was hanging out there. She had searched various other locations but couldn't find him. Was it so difficult to stay on track and do patrols with the threat of rogue vampires out and about? Why should she constantly watch over him and treat him like a child? From here on out, any time Zero was missing, she would check the barn first. He usually was always there anyway.

When she, Hanabusa and Akatsuki could see the barn, the two vampires stopped in their tracks. She turned to look at them and noticed their stiff postures and confused looks.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Something... doesn't seem right." Akatsuki sniffed at the air while Hanabusa looked around, scanning the area.

"Can you tell if Zero is here?"

"Yes," Hanabusa said. "But there's something wr—I mean, go ahead. Everything is fine. We'll wait here and keep a look out. You go on ahead."

She looked from one to the other, confused at their reactions. They were both acting awkward and clunky, as if they were robots that were short circuiting.

"Well, okay." Yuuki turned and went toward the barn by herself. When she entered the barn and was no longer in sight, Shizuka walked out from behind a tree.

"You two almost ruined my plan." Shizuka washed her power over the two cousins some more when they both tried to fight her hold. "It's amazing how a pureblood can control any vampire other than another pureblood, isn't it? I can use you two for my plan. I think it'll be better this way.

I want you two to run back and get Kaname, but be quick because there isn't much time. Tell him that Yuuki is in trouble and you can't help her. Tell him... Shizuka Hio is waiting for him."

The two jerked toward the direction of the Moon Dormitory and then started running at vampire speed. Shizuka watched them disappear before looking up into the sky, sighing with a slight smile.

"Soon, my love. We'll be reunited soon."

* * *

**A/N: My husband says I update too often. I say bah humbug and update anyway.**

**A****ny criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	14. The Surprising Bite

**A/N:**** Borderlands 2 'Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep' DLC is out! Fuck yeah!**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

_"____...ake up..."_

Zero could hear a familiar voice nagging at him, ebbing him to return to his consciousness. He wasn't sure how long he had been on his back passed out but when he tried to lift his head to look outside, he could see the sun wasn't high in the sky anymore. Yuuki was leaning over him, shaking him. Sleep started taking over again and his lids fluttered closed.

"_...go for patrols so wake u..."_

He must have been dreaming. To have Yuuki in his dreams was a blessing. Her presence temporarily stymied the madness and shouting inside his head. His body was shaken again and he let his head loll back and forth from the action. On second thought, maybe this wasn't a dream. If he were dreaming of Yuuki, she wouldn't be so annoying.

With great effort, he opened his eyes and looked up at her concerned face. Her dark hair hung down around her face, reaching out to him and making him think of hundreds of little horns. The desire to touch her hair overwhelmed him, but his body felt heavy. He could hardly lift his arm up.

"Finally, you're awake. I've been trying to wake you for like ten minutes now. Quit lounging around. You know we need to do heavy patrols until the rest of the students are gone. Now get up."

Yuuki stood and held her hand out to him to help him up. He was barely able to lift his arm up enough to grab her hand. The warm feeling of her flesh against his cold and sweaty one comforted him. It felt like an anchor, a life boat in his ever sinking despair. She tugged him up but he couldn't stand.

"Are you sick or something? If you're not feeling well then you should be resting in your room, not a barn full of horses and manure." She braced herself and hauled him up with both hands. He finally stood and swayed, having an extreme bout of vertigo. Yuuki put his arm over her shoulder and helped him stand.

"Yuuki..." Zero leaned against her. Her scent assaulted his senses and the hunger he was feeling before started growing again. "No!" He pushed her away from him and stumbled toward a stall door. Leaning against it with his shoulder, he hunched down and grabbed at his chest. His heart was beating madly and he started panting.

"Zero? Wh-what's wrong?" She walked up to him slowly and placed her hand on his arm.

"Get away from me, Yuuki. Now!" He shoved her arm off of him and turned his head into the stall.

"I'm not going to leave you if you need help, Zero. Or do you want me to get the Chairman maybe?"

"No! Don't tell him anything, do you hear me?"

He started coughing and he gripped his stomach. Yuuki slowly approached him again and lowered her head to see his face. His hair hung over his eyes, but he was able to see her beautiful, pale face and wide, brown eyes. His love for her surged forward.

"Yuuki, I..." He had to tell her. He had to. "I have to tell you, I lo—"

Before he could finish, he noticed a mark on her neck when she moved her head to the side to listen to him. His eyes became transfixed on the mark and temporarily blinded him, making him forget about everything else. Zero pushed away from the stall and grabbed Yuuki by her shoulders, shoving her against the barn wall. The back of her head smacked the wooden panel at his sudden force.

"Ow! What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

With one hand, he moved her hair to the side and pulled her collar down lower. There it was, two pricks marring her smooth skin. His anger rose at the sight, knowing just exactly what it was. He gripped her shoulders tightly and shook her.

"What the fuck is that, Yuuki?!" he shouted at her.

Yuuki stared at him, wide eyed with surprise. His breathing was heavy, lips parted, and his skin was clammy and extremely pale. It wasn't unusual for Zero to wear a scowl, but the expression he was giving her now was downright scary. His silver hair was darkened by his sweat and clung to his face and neck.

"Are... are you bleeding?" She noticed a small amount of blood on his collar.

"Don't change the subject! Answer my question!" He shook her again.

"Let go of me, you're hurting me, Zero!" She stomped down on his foot and he let go, jumping back and grabbing on to his foot. "What the hell is _wrong _with you?"

"Did Kuran bite you? Did you let that monster bite you, Yuuki?"

"So what if I did!" She blushed a little, thinking about how embarrassing it was for Zero to find out what she did with Kaname.

"I can't believe this," he whispered.

"It's none of your business what I do with Kaname."

Here he was, on the verge of going insane with hunger and about to tell her how he loved her, and she had let a vampire bite her. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Again, none of your business. I _was _feeling bad for you since you seem like you're sick, but apparently you're not that sick if you can still act like an ass."

"How could you, Yuuki? How could you let him touch you? He's evil."

"Just stop, Zero. Kaname is not a monster and he's not evil. News flash, I love him. We're together now. And you're also being a hypocrite, you know. How could you be upset about it when you slept with Yori and you don't even have feelings for her?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, turning her back to him as she huffed. Zero grabbed at his stomach as the burning sensation doubled. His vision blurred and his head started to pound again as he stumbled. He started seeing double.

"Yuuki... you need to leave. Now. Get away."

She shook her head and sighed. "I'm not leaving until you apologize for being a jerk. Just 'cause you're sick doesn't give you the right to act however you like."

Her movements caused her hair to part, exposing the back of her neck and part of her shoulder to him. The warnings he gave her were for her own safety, because his control was slipping again. The monster within him was coming back ever since he woke up and he didn't know how to stop it. Gums throbbing, body shaking and mouth dry, he stared at Yuuki's flesh.

Pink eyes flashed across his mind and the urge to drink and sate his hunger became overwhelming. He broke out into another cold sweat as he fought the urge to bite her. His neck and tattoo throbbed once more. Yuuki's scent swirled around him, he could hear her blood pumping and could hear her heart beating. His vision blurred again before clouding over with a haze of red.

He lost his sense of control and took a step forward, grabbing onto Yuuki's head with one hand and pulling it to the side as he held her arms to her sides with his other arm. He bit into her neck violently and started to drink.

"Ah! Z-Zero?! What... what are you doing?!" she shouted and tried to break free.

The moment her blood entered his mouth, his body shuddered in pleasure. The gnawing hunger began to dull. The fire in his veins cooled. The storm inside his head quieted. It tasted and felt like nothing he had ever had before. He couldn't stop himself from drinking, taking large gulps of her crimson life source.

He bit down harder, almost tearing her flesh as he tried to get his mouth closer to her. She cried out in pain but it didn't register to him. He was completely lost to the taste. His eyes glowed red and he gripped her tighter to him to stop her struggling. Never had he felt so complete and content. His hunger was finally being replaced with a feeling of power, his body hummed. Her blood was so sweet. Too sweet. He couldn't stop himself.

He took his fangs out and licked Yuuki's neck, getting ready to bite her again to drink more. Before he could, he heard a violent growl. He was torn away from Yuuki and thrown back thirty feet. He smacked his head against the wall and slumped down, slightly dizzy from the impact.

* * *

When Hanabusa and Akatsuki rushed into the Moon Dormitory and ran up to him, yelling a hundred words in quick succession about Yuuki being in trouble from Shizuka Hio, his heart froze. The Hio family had a history of madness and going berserk, being bloodthirsty. What with her bloodline and the fact that she had been engaged to Rido, it made him very nervous to know that she was near his love.

He dropped everything that he was doing and stood quickly, causing the chair behind him to fall back. He rushed out of his office and ran down the stairs, bursting through the front doors and into the muted afternoon light, heart racing in a way it never had before. Too many times Yuuki had been in danger without him there to help her. Maybe he really did have to lock her up somewhere and keep her hidden to be safe. Maybe Haruka and Juri weren't that far off from getting it right.

Running with his vampire speed down the stone path and over the field to the barn that the two cousins said she was at, he could immediately sense Shizuka's aura as well as Yuuki's and Zero's. He made it over the field quickly, but not before hearing Yuuki's yelp, followed by the strong scent of her blood. She was hurt and bleeding profusely.

Right when he made it to the barn's entrance, he saw Zero pinning Yuuki to his chest as he drank greedily from her neck. She had her back to him and when Kaname was in sight, her eyes locked on to his as tears welled up and fell down her soft cheeks. Zero wasn't himself either. His aura resembled more of a _Level E _rather than his normal vampire and vampire hunter self.

Kaname's anger snapped at the sight and he growled menacingly. Without thought, he blasted Zero with his power and pushed him away from Yuuki before he could bite her again. Just as quickly, he rushed to Yuuki and grabbed her before she hit the floor. His poor, sweet and innocent Yuuki was trembling and weak from the sudden blood loss. He set her down on the ground gently, pulled off his tie with a quick jerk and scrunched it up, placing it on her neck and taking her hand to hold it in place. He rose and turned slowly back to Zero.

"You... you dare bite and drink from what's mine? You dare forcefully take what doesn't belong to you?!"

Kaname ran to Zero and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, lifted him up and slammed him against the wall. Zero's feet dangled a few feet off the ground. The wood creaked and dust rained down from the cracks and high roof. He panted with anger as he stared at Zero.

Zero grabbed on to Kaname's wrist and tried to pry himself free from the pureblood. Drinking Yuuki's blood had dulled the hunger and calmed his nerves which snapped him back to reality. He was horrified at what he'd done and all he wanted was to go to Yuuki's side and check to make sure she was okay. Kaname's grip refused to give way and he was shoved into the wall again.

"Let me go, Kuran!"

Zero reached into his jacket with his free hand and took out his anti-vampire weapon. He went to point it at Kaname's head when Kaname grabbed his wrist and slammed it against the wall as well. His wrist was squeezed tightly, to the point where it felt like it was going to break. He had to let go of his gun before his wrist was broken. The gun fell into a pile of hay.

Kaname let go of Zero's wrist and instead put it on top of Zero's chest, right where his heart was. He was about to push forward to pierce the flesh and rip out his heart when Yuuki called out.

"Kaname! Please, wait. Don't hurt him. Don't hurt Zero."

His hand stilled and he turned his head to look back at her. "What? How could you say that after what he's done to you?"

"Please. Kaname, please. I'm begging you." Tears fell down her face.

Kaname removed his hand from Zero's chest and slammed him against the wall again before letting him go. "I should kill you, Kiryu. I want to, but for Yuuki's sake you'll live. You should be ashamed of yourself. Don't you _ever _touch her again."

He shoved Zero to the ground before he turned from him and went to Yuuki's side. Kaname picked her up and cradled her to his chest before leaving the barn. It was only after he left that the horses started to calm down and quiet. Zero, on the other hand, couldn't calm down. His body was shaking and his heart was racing at what had just happened.

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't have gone that far down hill. With the tips of his fingers, he brought a shaky hand to his mouth and felt his fangs. Zero made a fist and dropped his hand as he let his head fall back and rest against the wall. It was too late. The transition was finally complete and he was fully changed into a vampire. It wasn't clear to him how long he would have before he degraded into a full blown _Level E_.

That woman... that woman in white. Her pink eyes and pale face kept flashing before his eyes. The soft sound of her chuckle kept ringing in his ears. The feeling of biting into Yuuki and drinking her blood was beginning to dominate his thoughts entirely.

There was a _click-click _sound as a familiar anti-vampire weapon was armed. Zero looked to the barn entrance and saw the barrel of a rifle pointed at him. Brownish-tan colored hat shadowed the owner's face. A long, brown trench coat with patches at the shoulders flowed out around the man's legs as he stood tall, holding the rifle out with one extended arm. A trail of smoke rose up from a lit cigarette.

When the man took a drag of his cigarette, the tip blazed a bright orange-red. It lit his face momentarily to show one pale, icy blue eye staring at him with disgust. The smoke was exhaled from his mouth and nose.

"Time to die... vampire," the man said.

* * *

The air flapped at their clothes as Kaname ran quickly to the Moon Dormitory, slicing through the night at vampire speed. He wanted to get Yuuki indoors and in the safety of his room so he could tend to her wounds, both physical and emotional. He was sure that she was unaware of Zero's condition and would be extremely shocked at the revelation.

Furthermore, he wanted to erase Zero's touch from her completely. It was unfair to feel this way, but he couldn't help but be extremely jealous. It was obvious that she didn't want to be bitten by Zero, but it was unclear why she continued to protect him. Shouldn't he have the right to hurt Zero for hurting her and taking what wasn't his? What wasn't offered freely?

The double doors to the Moon Dormitory were already open. Hanabusa and Akatsuki were waiting for him with worried expressions and when he ran into the foyer with Yuuki in his hands, they rushed forward to try and help him.

"I've got her. Aidou, go and open my bedroom door. Kain, get some bandages for her neck." They nodded and ran off to do their given tasks. Seiren blinked and appeared to Kaname's side at the same time that Ruka ran down the upstairs hallway and stopped at the top of the stairs. She moved to the side as Kaname climbed them and started heading toward his bedroom.

"Seiren, stand guard outside of my room. Ruka, wait with her for a moment. After I leave, please go in and stay with Yuuki."

"Yes, of course."

Kaname placed Yuuki on his bed and sat next to her. He undid her top button to push her shirt to the side. She remained quiet and stared at him with wide eyes, following his every move. Her body trembled much like her bottom lip did. He could sense her fear and worry and it sickened him. She should never feel such things.

"It's okay, Yuuki," he tried to reassure her.

"Was she bitten by the pureblood Hio?" Hanabusa asked. Akatsuki ran in with a first aid kit and handed it to Kaname. He gave his cousin a nervous glance.

"No, she wasn't." Both Hanabusa and Akatsuki looked relieved. "It was Zero that bit her," Kaname continued.

Hanabusa stiffened and growled without realizing it. Akatsuki and Kaname turned to look at him with raised brows. He looked between the two and chuckled nervously. "Uh, sorry..." He scratched at the back of his head. "Let's go, Akatsi. We'll do patrols and keep an eye out for Kuran and Hio." He tugged his cousin out of the room and closed the door to leave Kaname alone with Yuuki.

Kaname forced Yuuki's stiffened hand to lower so he could remove his tie from her neck and clean her wound. She continued to stare at him the entire time, as if blinking would result to him disappearing from her sight. He opened the kit, took out gauze and attended her wound. When most of the blood was cleaned up, he examined the bite marks and brushed against it with his thumb. It was still bleeding, but not nearly as badly as it was before.

"To be bitten so savagely by another..."

"Z-Zero is... is a v-vampire?"

Kaname continued to look at her bite and sighed, placing gauze on it and taping it to her neck. "Yes."

"H-how? I didn't know. Why?"

"He came to live with you and the Chairman four years ago, Yuuki. His family was attacked and killed by a vampire. He was bitten at the time and has been going through the transformation of turning into a vampire ever since."

"W-what? How come he never told me?" Her eyes widened even more. "A-am I going to turn into a vampire too?"

"No, Yuuki." He caressed her hair. "In order to turn into a vampire, you have to be bitten by a pureblood. If you drink the blood of the pureblood that bit you, then you turn into a normal vampire. If you are bitten but do not receive the blood of your master, then you descend into a _Level E_."

"So, that means that I _am _going to turn?! You've bitten me countless times, Kaname! I don't want to turn into a _Level E_! Give me your blood, now! Quick!" She tried to pull him closer to her.

"Uh..." Kaname chuckled, despite himself. He was normally a man of few words, but for once he was almost struck speechless. "You're... special, Yuuki. Different. You wont turn unless we go through a different process."

She looked up at him, confused. "Huh?"

He needed to change the subject. "Zero has not received his master's blood. That is why he lost his control. What I don't understand, though, is why you continue to protect him. Why did you stop me, Yuuki?"

"B-because. If Zero is a vampire, then that means this entire time he's been suffering alone. I didn't know, Kaname. He hates vampires which means he's been hating himself too."

"I do not share your sympathy for him, Yuuki. It's true that I cannot imagine the change he's been going through, but understand that he's hurt the very thing that I hold dearest to me. I love you, Yuuki. For the first time in my entire life, I feel scared. I'm scared of losing you."

He closed his eyes and leaned forward to place his forehead to hers, taking a shaky breath. He cupped her face and kissed her gently. Kicking his shoes off, he crawled into the bed and scooted next to her, laying on his side to face her.

"I can't lose you, Yuuki," he breathed, caressing her face.

"You wont," she whispered.

"Promise me."

"I promise."

"Stay here. Don't leave until things calm down. Every time you go outside something happens. You're going to give me a heart attack. Even if Aidou and Kain stay with you to protect you, they are of no use against a pureblood. Please, promise that you'll stay here."

She placed her hands over his and kissed him. "It's going to be okay, Kaname."

He hoped it would be, and as he stared into her wet eyes, it didn't go past him that she never made that second promise.

* * *

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall."

He was whispering to himself when there was a rustling sound near where he was in the woods. He crouched and moved toward it. He could hear an excited heart beating and a feminine floral scent that didn't match the flowers in the area.

"Humpty Dumpty had a great fall."

He moved past a small bush until he saw the bent figure of a woman rummaging through her purse, quietly cursing to herself. She was wearing a black Cross Academy uniform. Lovely discovery, a Day student.

"All the king's horses."

She dumped her purse upside down and the contents scattered about. After sifting through the items, she picked up a small flashlight and camera. The sun had already gone done and it was once again night. His element.

"And all the king's men."

Watching where he stepped, he quietly creeped up and stood behind her. She was still kneeling on the dirt floor, shoving things back into her purse. After she finished, she threw the strap over her shoulder and grabbed the camera and flashlight again.

"Couldn't put Humpty together again."

She gasped at the sound of his voice and spun around, almost tripping over her own feet. Her hand clutched her things to her chest as her eyes widened. After seeing him, she let out a sigh of relief and chuckled.

"Y-you scared me," she said. He merely smiled at her and shrugged. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I uh, I snuck out of the dorm. I know we're not supposed to but I wanted to see you guys."

"Mmhmm. Well, now you see me. What would you like to do about it?" He walked up to her and ran his finger down her cheek.

"Oh my God, oh my God." Her excitement enticed him. "I can't believe I'm talking to you! I thought I'd only be able to sneak in a picture or two. I never thought I'd get to see and talk to a Night Class student. I'm... I'm so excited!" she squealed.

"Me too. How 'bout we have a little fun?"

"F-fun? Um, okay. Like what?"

"I enjoy playing tag. Do you?"

"Uh, um... tag?" She tried to give him a seductive smile as she boldly ran a finger down his chest. "Aren't you a little old to be playing tag?"

"Oh no. You can never be too old to play tag." He grabbed her chin forcefully and inched his face closer to hers. "I love being 'it'. So now you have to run before I tag you." He licked his lips and sneered at her.

"Ow, you're hurting me. I think... maybe I should get back..."

He shoved her down on the ground and she fell hard. She yelled out in shock and pain and stared up at him with the beginnings of fear.

"Sh-Shiki? What the hell?" She scooted backward and got up, patting the dirt off herself and looking around to see if there was anyone else around. He picked up her fallen camera and examined it.

"Hmmm. Let's add a twist to our game of tag." He snapped a photo of her, the flash blinding her momentarily. "Let's document the chase."

* * *

Kaname was watching Yuuki as she slept in his bed. One arm was raised above her head as her other was across her stomach. He lay next to her, propped up on an elbow with his head cupped in his left hand. With his right, he was rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand and knuckles. Sometimes lacing his fingers with hers and feeling the rise and fall of her chest from her breathing. Her complexion was still a little pale, but she had regained most of her color.

It had taken her some time to calm down and settle before she finally dozed off. He was grateful for that. There was something he had to take care of and he didn't want her to be awake to worry. If everything went well and as planned, then he would be done before she even realized he was gone. Shizuka had to be dealt with. Since she wasn't using someone else as a vessel, he could kill her and extinguish the threat she presented without worrying.

Rido would follow suit as soon as the bastard was in his own body. There was no point in doing anything to him while in Senri's as it wouldn't affect him any. Speaking of Rido, he wasn't sure where he was, exactly. Takuma had come back with Rima which meant Rido was by himself. Even after Takuma left to search for him, there was no telling that he would find the pureblood.

The other thing he was unfortunately worried about was Zero. If he had fallen to _Level E_ then he had to be killed. There was no going around it, but what would that do to Yuuki? Was there a way he could save Zero for her? The thought of saving him sickened him, but it was what his love wanted. He would do anything for Yuuki. If Zero hadn't completely fallen yet and there was a way to get him Shizuka's blood, then he'd be okay. He'd instead continue to be a constant source of agitation for Kaname but at least Yuuki would be happy.

He stared at her relaxed face and traced the shape of her brows with his finger. He brushed her soft cheek and followed the line of her cheekbones. She made an incoherent sound and smacked her lips together before quieting and nuzzling closer to him. He chuckled at her.

"You're so cute, Yuuki," he whispered. "So blindingly bright. So beautiful, inside and out." Leaning down slowly, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you."

Quietly moving so as not to wake her, he got off the bed and grabbed his things before leaving the bedroom. Ruka was still standing guard with Seiren in the hallway. She entered his bedroom when he nodded his approval and closed the door.

"Stay alert, Seiren. I'm going out to take care of some business." She nodded as she made a fist over her heart, bowing her head slightly.

It was time for him to get his hands dirty and bloody.

* * *

**A/N: ****So, I was thinking of adding _short_ bonus chapters after I finish this story. They'd be anything you, the reader, wanted ****that is VK related. ****Really, absolutely anything with any character(s). ****It doesn't have to be related to my story or even make sense in the VK world.** Can't guarantee I'd be able to do them all (if I even get any) but I promise to look at each one and try to think of something for it. If you're interested, send me a PM or review with your suggestion.

**Examples:  
********- A**** scene of Kaname and Yuuki as children**  
- The training Aidou had with Yuuki in chapter 8  
**- Something about Haruka and Juri  
****- A snippet from Kaien's hunter days  
****- The VK cast playing strip poker while riding rainbow colored unicorns  
****- Zero playing video games**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	15. Provoking Sacrifice

**A/N: I was asked why I let Zero live in the last chapter. I thought I made it obvious during Kaname's POV but what's obvious to me may not be for others. Kaname can't kill Zero because it would upset Yuuki. He rather she be happy than him. Plus, I'm not done with Zero yet. As for when/if Yuuki will be turned into a vampire... only time will tell!**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Zero stared at the barrel of the gun without flinching. There was no point in crying or begging for his life. After what he'd turned into and what he'd done to Yuuki, death was more than welcome. It was the only cure in sight to his poison. As a vampire hunter, it was his job to kill vampires; as a vampire, it was his job to die. And what better way then by the hands of a fellow hunter and his own teacher?

"You're not going to fight for your life?" Toga Yagari asked.

"Heh, why should I? You'd be doing me, you, hell... the whole world a favor by pulling that trigger. Go ahead, do it." Zero forced himself to stand. He held his hands out to the sides and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He still felt the hunger. The desire to drink blood was still there, but it was very muted. He felt he could control it now after feasting upon Yuuki. But for how long?

Yuuki... He couldn't believe he did that to her. His heart pounded and his chest hurt as he repeatedly replayed biting into her soft neck and drinking. It filled him with remorse, yet at the same time it filled him with deep satisfaction. Unaware, he licked his lips as he thought of the taste of her blood.

"Disgusting," Toga said before pulling the trigger and getting a direct hit. The sound of the rifle echoed over the open field in the quiet of the night. The scent of fresh vampire blood filled the air. The horses startled and stomped about.

* * *

"Stop! Leave me alone!" She ran through the woods as fast as she could, but for some reason it wasn't fast enough. Every time she turned around to look how far back he was, he was always just a few feet away. Smiling at her with a disturbing glint in his eyes. Another flash from her camera momentarily blinded her.

"C'mon! You can do better than that, Red!" he taunted her. "I'm the big, bad wolf come to eat you. Can't you run faster? Your life's on the line here!"

She turned back to look at where she was going, but as soon as she did, he was in front of her. She yelled out in surprise, holding her hands out to help steady her as she tried to stop from colliding into him. He took another picture. She turned to her left and took a step forward, only to see him standing in front of her, sneering. A turn to the right and he was there again.

She let out a scream of frustration and fear. "Why are you doing this, Shiki?! Leave me alone!"

"One, two. Buckle my shoe."

"Stop with the stupid nursery rhymes!" She huffed as she turned around and started running again.

"Three, four. Open the _door_." Rido ran next to her and held his foot out to trip her at his last word. She didn't see him and fell, sprawling out on the ground. Her knees and arms were scraped and scratched from running into things. The clothing she wore had little tears from snagging on branches. Another flash from her camera.

"Five, six. Pick up sticks." He grabbed her hair and dragged her up to stand on her tippie toes. The Day student grabbed on to his arms to try and hold herself up so her hair wouldn't be pulled as much. Tears ran down her face as she kept crying out, but in the near darkness in the middle of hundreds of trees, no one but the insects heard her.

"Seven, eight. Lay them straight." He snapped her neck and caught her body as it went limp.

Pondering on where to display his trophy, he wrapped one arm around her torso and held the other straight out and began to dance. "Ba da na na daaaa, bump bump, bump bump. Ba da da na naaaa, bump bump, bump bump." He sang as he did the Waltz with her, taking a step side to side and twirling them both around. He leaned forward and dipped her down and picked her back up.

"Oh, little Red. You just look ravishing tonight. I do too? Why, thank you." He chuckled as he continued to talk to the dead girl in his arms. "Oh, stop it. You're too kind."

Just then, the location of where to put her body hit him. What better place than the focal point of the gardens and the academy?

* * *

Kaname had all his senses on alert. With his power flowing and reaching out, he continuously scanned the area for any sign of threat or foreign presence. Now was not the time to be caught off guard. The last place he felt Shizuka's aura was by the barn with Zero, so that was the first place he was going to check. That damn barn was starting to be a place he wanted to burn down and never see again.

He didn't have to go far before he could sense Shizuka and her blood. In the middle of the bridge that connected the dormitories and the school, right before the gates, stood the woman in question. She appeared ethereal, as if an inner light was shining through her skin and pouring out in visible waves. Her silky, white kimono and long, silver hair danced in the wind. Hundreds of cherry blossom petals began to flurry from behind him and gracefully fall around her, appearing as if it were snowing. She stood tall as she stared directly at him, waiting.

With assertive steps, Kaname walked up to her and stopped a few feet away. She didn't seem angry or scared, happy or sad. In fact, she almost seemed as though she were at peace or detached from everything. He tilted his head to the side and nodded slightly.

"Shizuka Hio."

She returned the action. "Kaname Kuran."

They continued to stare at one another, both waiting to see who would make the first move. Before anything could happen, Kaname decided to question her.

"What is your goal, Shizuka? What is your agenda?"

"Chaos."

"For what purpose? To what end?"

"What does it matter, Kaname? Are you going to question me to death or do you plan on showing me some of that Kuran power of yours?"

He continued to exam her. Her purple shall was wrapped oddly around and over her chest in a diagonal fashion and he could still smell her blood, though he couldn't see any of it.

"Are you injured?"

"It's just a scratch. Nothing to worry about," she dismissed.

"Why are you after Yuuki?"

Her expression softly changed and she appeared saddened. "To get your attention, of course."

"Well, you succeeded. You have all my attention right now."

"I wont ever stop, you know. I will keep going after her and keep trying to torment and hurt her until either she or myself dies."

"I wont allow that, Shizuka."

"Then you need to do whatever it is you need to do to prevent that." She smiled and her face, for the first time since he'd seen her, lit up in a way that looked mad. As if her impassive mask that she always wore and showed the world fell off to show her inner, psychotic demon.

She crouched a little before pouncing up and rushing Kaname. With her hands posed as make-shift claws, she lashed out at him. He barely leaned back, just enough to dodge her swipe. The air in front of his shirt made a loud _whoosh _sound as she missed, his jacket lapels flapping from the force. Just as quickly, she lashed out with her other hand. Kaname took a step back to dodge that attack as well.

Shizuka giggled and swiped again, missing as Kaname jumped back a few feet. Her hair flowed around her and cascaded fluidly, bouncing over her shoulders and accommodating her erratic movements. Her cherry blossom petals followed her and continued to fall. The amount of them doubled and created a blizzard like effect, falling quickly and constantly changing directions.

It remained that way for a minute—Shizuka staying on the offensive and trying to claw at him as Kaname constantly dodged and moved backward. Not once did he retaliate or attack back. Instead, he continued to watch and examine her and her actions as he kept her at a distance. What he was looking for was subtle, but when he did, he returned her smile before making his move. There was a reoccurring theme. Though her movements were irregular, every time she went to swing at him, the corner of one eye would twitch.

The ground beneath his feet changed from the stone steps of the bridge and walkway to grass and dirt as they continued to move back. The petals lessened. He summoned a large shadow wolf that took physical form, reaching up to his waist. With only his thoughts, he commanded it to attack her. The black wolf snarled and bared its teeth as it jumped up. Before Shizuka could stop it, the wolf was able to latch on to her arm. It bit and gnawed at her limb, shaking its head violently back and forth as it growled.

Shizuka simply grunted and grabbed at the shadow wolf's throat with her other hand, tearing her claws into its flesh and ripping a large chunk out of it. The wolf dispersed into bats and flew away. She turned back to where Kaname was and noticed he was gone. He kicked the center of her back, making her fly forward and hit a tree. The trunk vibrated and the branches shook, making dozens of leaves fall to the ground and a few birds to fly off.

She forced vines and roots from the ground to break through the dirt and shoot up into the air. They arched before descending back down and zooming toward Kaname from multiple directions. Before he could dodge them, they wrapped around his body. They snaked up his arms and legs, around his waist and over his neck. Shizuka forced them to tighten around him, the sound of the roots creaking and the vines stretching. She ran to him at vampire speed, arm cocked back and hand held rigidly straight to pierce through his heart.

Her hand reached his chest and suddenly stopped, the tip of her middle finger touching his shirt. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Kaname's wine colored orbs. The numerous vines holding Kaname shattered into millions of tiny multicolored crystals and disappeared. Shizuka coughed, blood misting across Kaname's jacket. She took a small step back and looked down, examining the arm that was inside her chest.

Shizuka followed the arm up to it's owner until she looked at Kaname again. She noticed he wasn't excited or happy about the kill. He rather looked sad as he held her up with his other arm, helping to lower her gently to the ground. He pulled out a little, grabbing on to her heart and ripping it out as he tugged his arm free. Pain blossomed throughout her entire body as she coughed again. A line of blood trailed out the corner of her mouth and ran down her cheek to be absorbed by her hair.

She looked down at his hand holding her heart and jerked a quick nod. He squeezed it until it burst, blood spraying the both of them. It wasn't as noticeable on Kaname's black jacket, but the red was a striking and stark contrast against her white kimono. She looked up at his sad eyes.

"To... kill a pureblood," she coughed again, "is the... highest... crime." She was gasping heavily from the pain. Kaname closed his eyes and placed his clean hand over her forehead. A warm, tingling sensation washed over her as the pain melted away. He coughed instead and hunched over, transferring her pain to him.

"Why, Shizuka? Has Rido broken you that much?" he whispered. He opened his eyes to stare into her calm, pink ones. Her face was now relaxed and her breathing was now quick and shallow pants.

She smiled up at him. "He has, but... I still... had a little fight... left in me."

Kaname moved her purple sash and noticed a second hole a few inches below his. "You were shot by an anti-vampire weapon."

"Yes."

"So, you wanted to die."

"Yes." She coughed again and her body shook as it started to crystallize. Small cracks spread out from the two holes and ran all over her body as it began to stiffen.

"Why?"

"To be... with my true love. No one could... kill me. Rido... wouldn't allow it. It's been years... of pain with him. If I..." She clenched her jaw shut as the lower half of her body started to completely harden. "If I... provoked you by... using Zero to get at Yuuki, then... I knew you would attack to kill.

Listen... Kaname. Protect her, the one... you love, with all your heart. With... everything, all your power. Cherish every moment you... have with... her. You never know... when it'll all come to... an end. She can be taken away... from you before you... know it.

I'm... sorry to put the burden of... what's coming next on you, but... you've given me my freedom."

Kaname said nothing, opting to remain quiet. She lifted her arm up to him and placed her wrist at his mouth. He knew, without her commanding it, that she wanted him to drink her blood. He was able to absorb the power of any vampire he drank from. Without hesitating or wasting time, he bared his fangs and bit into her, taking large and quick gulps of her diminishing life source. He took what was needed before releasing his mouth and looking down at her.

"Thank you... Kaname."

Shizuka looked away from him and instead gazed up at the dark, star filled sky. The woods around them were quiet, as if all the living animals and insects knew of the event taking place. The only sounds filling the air was the cracking of her body. Her gaze was fixed, as if she were staring at something only she could see. A small smile touched her lips as a single tear escaped one eye and fell down her face. She whispered, low enough that he almost didn't hear it, the man's name that she was to be finally reunited with.

Her body completely crystallized and shattered, turning into dust and disappearing.

* * *

The metal, anti-vampire chains around Zero's wrists were bound tightly. They were connected to a high hoop in the ceiling and rang every time he jerked his body. The sound echoing off the stone walls of his large and empty cell. He was enveloped in darkness, the only light coming from the soft glow of two torches. One to each side of him, placed high and away. Their smoke trailed up and the scent of the pitch lingered in his nose.

He felt her, the woman who had bitten her. The one and only hope he had of becoming a regular vampire and stopping his decent into a _Level E_, die. The bite marks in his neck throbbed and burned. His hunger, though he had just recently drank from Yuuki, came back tenfold. The burning sensation in his veins returned.

"Kill me! Kill me, kill me, kill me!"

Pulling at the chains and trying to step forward, he snarled and bared his fangs as the chains stopped him, jerking him back. Toga, who stood several feet away at the cell's entrance, stared at Zero. His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. His long rifle was strapped to his back, hat tilted back to show more of his face and a lit cigarette still in his mouth.

"I'm disappointed in you, Zero. Letting the hunger get to you like this. I thought you were stronger." Toga took a drag and blew it out. "To think I lost an eye for you, only to see you end up like this and give up so quickly. It really does disgust me."

"Toga! This isn't going to help him any!" Kaien chastised.

"The only reason he's not dead yet is because of you, Uncle."

"And I thank you for that, but we need to help him now."

Toga pushed away from the wall and pointed at Zero. "Look at how quickly he's losing control of himself. There is no helping him, especially if he doesn't want help!" He turned to look at Zero as he continued to talk to Kaien. "If he only _wanted_ to live and _tried_ to fight the change and control the urges, it'd be a different story. But look, he's begging to be killed."

Zero was on his knees, head bowed as he panted, arms still held up near his shoulders from the chains. His eyes stared at nothing in particular, scanning the stones on the ground. He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth, growling loudly, as another spasm ran through his body. When it passed, it left him feeling weak. He slumped forward and passed out.

"Tch. Freakin' boy." Toga threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out before entering the cell and pushing Zero back to lean against the wall. Zero's head fell to the side, his arms finally relaxed and resting in his lap. Toga brushed some of his student's wet, silver hair out of his face. He moved out of the cell and closed it, locking it in place.

"I need your help."

"The Hunter Association didn't send me here to help you. They have spies of their own, you know. They sent me here to keep an eye on Zero and kill him if he is uncontrollable."

"He... he'll be fine, I just know it. He's strong. This is just a new change for him. Give him some time to cope with it. In the mean time, I'm asking you not as a fellow hunter, but as—"

"Ex-hunter. You're retired, old man."

Kaien waived his hand dismissively. "Don't argue with me about semantics. I've discovered that Rido Kuran has somehow amassed at least a hundred lower ranking vampires and _Level E_'s. They're coming here, Toga, and they'll be here very soon.

I'm asking as a friend. I need your help. If we're able to get some more hunters to help, that'd be even better. I can't fight them alone with a handful of Night Class students while protecting the remaining Day students. Will you help me or tuck your tail in between your legs and only do as the Association commands?"

Toga gave his oldest friend, his trainer and the man that helped raise him a mischievous smile. He flicked the tip of his nose as he nodded. "The Association doesn't own me. I've been looking for a good fight, so I'm in."

* * *

Kaname knew he had to make it back to the Moon Dormitory before Yuuki woke up, but he first needed to get control over the new powers he had absorbed from Shizuka. Until then, he decided he would remain seated on top of a stump he had just created when he accidentally sliced a tree down before disintegrating it. He didn't mean to, but his control had slipped when he thought of what he had to do soon.

It was an unspoken suggestion from Shizuka that he understood all too well. It wasn't really about him gaining more power. Rather, in order to protect Yuuki from threats other than Rido, the blood he gained from her would need to be used for Zero. Which meant he would have to give Zero some of his own blood as well. With Shizuka now dead, that was the only way to allow Zero to transition into a normal vampire; thus resulting in Yuuki's safety from him as well as her happiness. It was a win/win situation for everyone except Kaname. But what other choice did he have? As much as he wanted to, because of Yuuki, he couldn't kill Zero.

The next step was to ponder ways of giving Zero his blood. He certainly didn't want that thorn in his side to bite him, that was a disgusting thought. Taking some and putting it into a vial was an option, but unless he delivered it to Zero himself, he couldn't ensure the safety of the vial. It could fall into the hands of the wrong person before it made it to him. Collecting the blood aside, the other issue was making Zero drink it. He doubted that the young hunter would willingly take anything from Kaname, let alone his blood.

Kaname sighed in agitation. If only erasing Yuuki's memories of Zero was an option. Not that it wasn't, but he couldn't live with himself with that knowledge. Yuuki was who she was because of all her experiences in life as a human. To take any away from her would challenge the integrity of her being.

For now it was enough that he had not only gotten rid of Shizuka but had a way to 'cure' Zero for Yuuki's sake. He looked down at the blood on his hand and on his jacket. The details could come later, once he got himself cleaned up and back to Yuuki. For now, he was able to control the new power well enough.

No doubt the other nobles already knew of what happened and were able to smell it, especially when he got closer to the dorm. They would at least know about his arrival back. When he made it back inside the Moon Dormitory, he noticed Yuuki's scent was stronger in the foyer than it should have been. That could only mean that she had recently walked through it, which would also mean that she was no longer asleep on his bed. With a grumble at the thought of not being able to lay next to her, he followed the scent and heard the sounds of laughter and chatter coming from the kitchen.

Making sure not to make any noise, he walked to the kitchen's entrance and leaned against the frame, looking at the scene in front of him. Ruka, much to his surprise, was sitting next to Yuuki on a stool and jovially chatting with her. Rima was sitting on the opposite side of Yuuki, apparently feeling well enough to be up and out of bed. A bandage was still wrapped around her neck. Hanabusa was wearing a white apron as he was whipping together a light meal for all of them, grinning like a fool. Even Akatsuki had a small smile as he leaned against the wall with his arms across his chest, looking only at Ruka.

He only gave the other vampires a cursory glance before turning all his attention back to Yuuki. She was leaning against the granite counter and smiling, laughing when one of the others said something funny. She seemed a little shy as she spoke with them all, but that only added to her appeal. Hanabusa offered to fling food up for them to catch and the three women agreed. Akatsuki shook his head no.

Ruka and Rima were able to catch the small piece of food in their mouth without a problem. When it was Yuuki's turn, she leaned back and tried to move to catch the meat but missed. It hit her nose and landed on the counter. She leaned forward, covering her mouth in embarrassment as everyone laughed. She giggled and blushed. Kaname smiled at her, shaking his head.

After refusing to try again and sitting upright, the tip of the white gauze on her neck peeked out through a few strands of her hair. Before he knew it, the anger he felt at her being bitten by another leaked out. A glass that Hanabusa picked up and was getting ready to fill shattered, the shards falling to the ground. He held the handle and looked down at the broken pieces in surprise as the other vampires tensed. They didn't have to turn to know that Kaname was there.

Yuuki looked from one to the other in surprise, still not knowing that Kaname was behind them. Kaname covered his face with his hand as he controlled his emotions and reigned in on the power that was trying to spill out. When he did, the four nobles relaxed a little and continued talking, not once acknowledging he was there so as not to alert Yuuki. He turned and left them in their little oasis as he went up the stairs to his room.

"Seiren, why aren't Aidou and Kain patrolling?"

She had remained close by to the group and kept watch, not bothering to join them. When Kaname left, so did she, following him up the stairs.

"They returned when they felt there was trouble between you and Hio. They stated there was nothing they could do against a pureblood and they could assist you better by staying as a group to guard Yuuki."

Kaname nodded and ordered her to return back to the group downstairs. He closed the bedroom door behind him, stripped off his dirty and bloody clothes and went into the bathroom to shower. As the hot water washed over him, he stared at his hands and watched as the water mixed and swirled with the blood. He wondered if he even deserved to touch Yuuki with such dirty hands. Even if the blood was washed way, the stains would forever remain where they were. There was no undoing what was already done.

He already was beginning to tarnish her light, wasn't he? Suddenly feeling weary and wanting to sleep, he started scrubbing himself clean. When he finished, he placed his palms against the tiles and bowed his head, closing his eyes and letting the water flow over him.

The bathroom door opened and he sensed and knew it was Yuuki before he could smell or see her. He didn't move, not knowing what it was she was going to say or do and not wanting to chance losing his control again and taking her on the bathroom mat. At this point, he just wanted to block everything else out and just bury himself in her. He wanted his safe haven again, embraced in her arms.

"Kaname?" she called out tentatively.

He remained still, the shower door separating the too. He smiled solemnly, though he knew she couldn't see through the frosted glass.

"I'd hope you wouldn't have someone else in our shower." He liked the sound of that, theirs instead of his.

"I wouldn't!" she called out adamantly.

He chuckled at her and then stopped when he heard the rustling of clothes. The shower door opened a moment later and he felt her get in behind him. He froze, not as though he was moving to begin with, as his mind started reeling. He kept his palms where they were as he forced his eyes to remain closed.

She was in the shower. Naked. With him, also naked. Which meant water. Lots of water running over her naked flesh. That meant her being wet. And warm. His member hardened from just thinking about her. He gulped as he tried to control himself, standing upright and letting his hands fall to his sides, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

"I missed you," she whispered into his back as she snaked her hands around his waist. She was going to be the death of him. "I was worried when I woke up and you were gone."

"I'm sorry I worried you. I'm here now."

"Hey Kaname?"

"Yes?"

She placed a small kiss on his shoulder blade and hugged him to her. He felt her body squish against him and he made a fist, trying to control himself from turning around and taking her against the shower wall. "I love you."

He smiled genuinely. "I love you too, Yuuki." He loved her so much that he put himself through everything and anything for her.

She leaned around him and grabbed his body wash and loofah, pouring some on it before returning it to it's place.

"You're going to use my body wash? I don't mind, but you have your own here now, you know."

"Yeah. It's not for me though, it's for you."

"I see. Thank you, but I've already showered, Yuuki."

"I know, but it's strange. For some reason, I have this feeling like... you feel as though you're still dirty or something. So, Kaname, let me cleanse you and wash away your dirt."

Kaname closed his eyes and lowered his head, letting out a shaky sigh. How did she do this to him? How did she see things he didn't want her to see? And how was he going to control himself as she touched him everywhere?

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, I got some suggestions for bonus chapters. Thank you! I will definitely do the ones I've gotten so far. :)**

**If anyone is a PC gamer and wants to play BL2 with me, look me up on Steam. Profile name is Kezzi and I have an Alucard (from Hellsing) avatar. kthnxbai.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	16. Rubber Ducky

**A/N: I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Yuuki wet the loofah and let the body wash lather, scrunching it in her hands a few times before stroking Kaname's back with it. Most of the spray from the water was blocked by his tall stature, hitting his chest and blocking her from the stream. In circular motions, she gently scrubbed his back with the loofah in her right hand, following the path and smoothing the lather with her left. She took her time, making sure she got every spot.

When she was sure she had gotten every inch of his back, she moved down slowly to his lower back and stopped. He smiled to himself, wondering if she had thought her idea through. Was she planning on cleaning _every_ part of him? He wanted to see how she would proceed and couldn't help but chuckle, thinking she surely had to be blushing. And if she were blushing, he couldn't wait to see how she would react when she got to his front. She started rubbing his lower back and tracing up and down his spine.

Kaname closed his eyes and absorbed the feeling of Yuuki running her small hands all over him. They remained quiet, not needing words to portray their love for one another. His heart was pounding from different emotions mixing together. It felt incredible to be touched by Yuuki in such intimate ways, yet at the same time he felt he didn't deserve it. That he had too many sins in his long life for her to achieve her goal of cleansing him. And hadn't he just returned from taking the life of another?

Yuuki slapped one of his butt cheeks, snapping him out of his self inflicting turmoil. His eyes shot open and he turned his head around to stare at her, surprised. She wasn't blushing at all. In fact, she was grinning at him instead.

She softly smacked the other cheek and then rubbed the spot afterward. "Just evening it out."

He was stunned. His innocent, angelic Yuuki was being a little wild child. Though he doubted how innocent she was after the things they did together. But if she wanted to play, he was more than willing to participate.

When he started to turn to face her, she grabbed his shoulders and stopped him. "Uh uh, I'm not done yet. There's still a lot of you that needs to be cleaned."

He growled and tried to face her again, but she stopped him. He tried to pout instead, jutting his lower lip out and giving her puppy eyes, hoping to convince her and make her cave in. Kaname momentarily pushed aside his earlier hesitations about his unworthiness of her. All he wanted now was to touch her and kiss her, feel her body against his. She shook her head, giving him a stern look.

With a heavy sigh, he slouched his shoulders and nodded, turning back completely to face the front of the shower and giving Yuuki all the power. Much to his surprise, she didn't skip over his rear but gave it the same tender strokes as she did his back. She then moved down the back of his thighs and to his calves. When she pulled at his ankle, he lifted his foot up for her to get under his feet. Was she really intending to get all of him? Kaname smiled again, because that'd mean she would have to also get his hardened member. He started preparing himself for it.

She tugged at his legs, urging him to turn as she remained kneeling at his feet. He obliged and turned, looking down at her. Her hair was damp and clung to her face and neck. A mist of water surrounding the hairs that were sticking up gave her a halo-like effect. How appropriate—his lovely, bright angel. And he was the dark demon willing to sully her.

Yuuki did the tops of his feet and started her way up, kissing his knees and thighs before stopping at his pelvis. She looked up at Kaname who was watching her intently with his mesmerizing, reddish-brown lust filled eyes. He was waiting patiently for her to grab him and stroke him, anticipating the pleasure that would come.

She smiled up at him and instead rubbed his hips and went up his sides as she began to rise, kissing his stomach and chest before following it with the loofah. He closed his eyes and grumbled, not happy about her teasing.

"Perhaps I've misjudged you. You're no holy angel. You're the Devil."

The only response he got was a giggle. She lathered up his chest and neck while she stared at him the entire time. After his chest was thoroughly cleaned, she went down one arm and then did the other.

"You're all clean," she told him with a cheeky grin.

He eyed her with a raised brow. "Oh no, you don't. You missed a _very_ big spot."

"Oh, I did, did I?"

"Yes, you did."

"Hmm. I didn't notice. I don't see any missing spots." She looked up and down his front.

He growled in response. "Yuuki... one way or another, you're going to be the death of me."

She giggled again and nudged him to turn and face the water once more. He did as commanded and let her rinse off the body wash that was on him. She hugged him from behind again and when she pulled away, he was sure that their little shower fun was over. Instead, she moved around him and switched places with him.

"Face the other wall," she told him.

He frowned and turned, having his back to her once again, except now she was under the water. He stared at the dark tiles of the bathroom as he pondered what she would do next. There was a soft _thud_ and a moment later, her chin was resting on the middle of his back as her arms wrapped around his waist again.

She gripped his member with her right hand suddenly and started to move up and down with slow and thorough strokes. He groaned at her touch, her hands lathered in soap or body wash or at this point, who the hell cared what. His eyes closed as he reached out and placed his hands on the tiled walls. She ran her hand from the base all the way up to the tip; rubbing her thumb over the head before descending back down and then repeating the action. With her left hand she cupped his sac and massaged him slowly, staying in rhythm with her strokes.

It felt incredible and extremely intimate. She placed little kisses all over his back, standing on her toes to kiss his shoulders. Her breasts would rub up against him at her movements, or she would hug herself closer to him. His fingers curled into fists, wanting something to do as she continued to pleasure him.

"Yuuki... I want to touch you," he panted.

"Not yet. I'm not done cleaning you yet."

She picked up the pace, going slightly faster and twirling her hand as she went up and down. He couldn't remain still and started to thrust into her hand. The hot water, the steam, her warm flesh against him, the wetness surrounding them and the feeling of her hands working her magic on him was too much. The lubrication from the soap or whatever made her actions so smooth. He clenched his jaw. All too quickly, he felt that tingling sensation at the base of his spine.

"Y-Yuuki, wait." She didn't listen but continued pumping him. "I'm close, Yuuki. I want to be in you."

"No."

"No? Why not?" He put his hand on hers to stop her and turned enough to look at her.

"Because this is all about you right now. I want to do this and make you feel clean."

He understood all too clearly. Turning around completely and forcing her to let go of him, he moved so they were both under the water. He washed away the suds from both of them before pushing her against the tile wall.

"You've done enough, Yuuki. I understand. You think I'm clean enough to touch you?"

"Of course. But I want _you _to feel clean enough. Do you?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "I want you to stop torturing yourself, Kaname. I love you. You deserve happiness."

"You don't understand, Yuuki. I've done... terrible things. I have many sins to atone for."

"All I hear is 'wah, wah, wah' right now." He gave her a dark look but she ignored it. "I get you've done things you're not happy about, but that doesn't make you any less worthy of being happy or being with me. You're old and a pureblood. Your hands are bound to be covered in blood at one point or another." She cupped his face in her hands. "So stop hesitating when it comes to me. Please."

Kaname nodded as he placed his hands on the wall around her, caging her in. Leaning down to be more level with her, he kissed her as she lifted her head up to him. With his tongue, he licked at her lips, wanting entrance. She obliged and opened enough for him to enter. He licked and sucked on her tongue, tasting her and groaning.

His hands lowered to her shoulders and brushed down to her breasts, cupping them and pinching her nipples. She moaned into his mouth at his touch and grabbed his member, stroking his length again. He broke the kiss and placed his forehead against hers.

"Please, Yuuki." He kissed her temple and went down her cheek to her ear and whispered, "I want to be inside you."

She shuddered with desire and nodded, giving him all the approval he needed. Picking her up and placing his hands underneath her, he held her against the wall and allowed her to guide him to her center. She wrapped her legs around him and urged him froward. They both moaned in pleasure as he entered her. He stayed still a moment, letting himself feel her wrapped around him. The feeling of her wet warmth different than the heat of the shower.

"Yuuki..."

He pulled out and thrust back in, moaning at the tightness and feel of her, gripping her closer to him. He set a fast pace, pumping into her as she tried to push forward with her hips to meet his rhythm. He kissed her again before resting his head in the crook of her shoulder. His breathing heavy and hers uneven.

"You feel so good, Yuuki," he whispered between breaths in her ear. She clenched around him and moaned. He kissed her neck. "I love the way you feel."

"Kaname!" she moaned out. She hugged him to her, resting her temple against his head. She dug her nails into his back as she held his head to hers with the other. Hearing him say things to her in such a way was so erotic to her, she felt she was going to shatter in his arms. The sensation inside her building and building, ready to tip over at any moment and burst.

"Ah, Yuuki." He rested his cheek against hers and continued to talk to her seductively. "Do you like it? Does it feel good, Yuuki?" He ground into her, making sure to rub against her folds and little bundle of nerves with his pelvis. "You're so wet, so tight. Tell me, Yuuki. Does it feel good? I want to hear you say it."

"Y-Yes!" She closed her eyes shut and cried out in pleasure as her body hummed and shuddered with the explosive feeling of her orgasm. Nothing else mattered at that moment. It was like she was shot out of her body, like every fiber in her genetic code pulsed with her release.

Kaname continued, stroking the fire further and further, setting everything ablaze. Lips parted as he panted. He moaned as his body trembled when he came inside her, still moving in and out of her. He gradually slowed and then eventually disentangled himself from her, carefully setting her back down.

"My legs feel like jelly," Yuuki complained. Her body trembled.

Kaname chuckled at her before turning the water off and stepping out to get a towel. Unfolding one, he held it open and waited for her to exit the shower, wrapping her around it and kissing her. He turned and grabbed one for himself as well.

"By the way, why do you have a rubber ducky in your shower?" She started drying herself off.

He stopped mid motion and looked at her, slightly embarrassed. "Ichijo gave that to me when we were children as a joke. I suppose I never threw it out."

"Is it true that guys name their penis?"

He stared at her. "I'm... not sure, Yuuki. I don't speak with other males about their gentlemanly parts." What kind of topic switch was that? He narrowed his eyes at her. "Where did you hear that from? Are men telling you the names of their—"

"Oh, no no! It's just something I heard from some of the girls a while ago. Can I name yours?" She bounced up and down, wrapped in the black bath towel.

He raised a brow at her. "Um, I suppose if that's what you want. That's fine."

"Can we name it after your toy?" she asked with a big grin.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Can we name your penis Rubber Ducky?"

Kaname gave her an incredulous stare. "Have you really thought that one through, Yuuki? You want to have sex with my Mr. Rubber Ducky?"

"Ew! No! On second thought, when you put it that way, that's not such a good idea at all!"

She ran out of the bathroom while making a disgusted sound, leaving Kaname to stare after her. He shook his head and chuckled, looking up at the ceiling and sighing before exiting into his bedroom as well.

* * *

"This is an outrage, Cross! I thought you're supposed to be protecting your students! How could you let something like this happen? How are you going to explain this? You should send these damn vampires away so something like this can't happen. You're responsible for this. You'll have to explain yourself to the Association." Toga was shouting at Kaien as he paced back and forth in front of the academy's fountain.

Strapped to the fountain was the naked and torn body of a Day Class student, arms out to her sides and legs crossed over one another at the ankles in a standard crucifixion pose. Her body was covered in cuts, bruises and blood; her hair was dirty and had grass and leaves in it. Black smudges from her mascara ran down her cheeks from crying before she was killed. Her skin was pale and cold. A note was pinned to her chest with a ragged piece of wood.

A dozen photos were splayed out around the edge of the fountain and at her feet. Each picture was different but showed the same thing: A terrified student, in diminishing degrees of hopefulness as she ran for her life before eventually being killed. A snapshot of her unfortunate demise.

The Chairman let himself get yelled at by his former student and colleague. His heart was heavy at their finding that morning, knowing full well that it wasn't the end of the bloodshed. That he had to explain this to the girl's parents somehow.

He removed the stake from the student's chest and pocketed the note before covering her with a wool blanket. Next he removed the stakes from her hands and feet and caught her limp body as it started to slump forward. Her eyes were still open, the look in her eyes full of terror and accusations. He read it all too clearly: Where were you to help me? Why weren't you there to protect me? To stop this?

He carried the body and placed her on a stretcher, picking up one end and looking at Toga. Toga grumbled and picked up the other end. With his help, Kaien was luckily able to escort the fallen victim to the infirmity without any of the other students seeing them. After making a few calls to take care of the body and reunite it with her family for a proper burial, he went back to his office, leaving Toga behind.

Over the school's intercom, he addressed to the students that they were to remain inside their dormitories at all times unless they were called to the office to be escorted to their family's vehicle. He couldn't chance any of them running about aimlessly and having Rido get a hold of them. They would be on house arrest until further notice and the doors would be locked. It was a small measure to be taken. Not one that would prevent Rido from entering the dormitories, but one that would at least prevent Rido from having easy targets.

After all the preparations were made, he removed the note and pictures from his pocket. The note had dried blood on it and was a little difficult to unfold, but he eventually got it open and read it's contents.

_Hey there, Kaname!_

_I present to you, the 'Lady in Red'! Get it? Cause she's covered in blood! Haha! Oh, and I was also pretending to be the Big Bad Wolf so she was acting as Little Red Riding Hood. Well, anyway._

_Hey listen, this is me keeping my word. I don't mind killing people but I wonder how long you'll be able to stand the fact that I'm doing so because of you. Just thought I'd throw that out there._

_How do you like the pictures? She was a great sport, kinda fun. She played along really well. Taku-Taku almost caught me but I was able to print them out and set it all up real nice for you. Do you like them? I made copies. We should turn them into trading cards and play during our next family event._

_All jokes aside though, I know what you fucking did to my God damn Yuuki and that fucking whore Shizuka. I'm not happy with you, Kaname. You're behaving very badly and I think maybe you need a time out. I've been taking it easy on you and trying to keep things light, but maybe I should forcefully take Yuuki away from you. I like it when they're kicking and screaming anyway. Before I do, be a good boy and don't lay another fucking finger on her._

_Your loving 'uncle',  
Rido_

The Chairman sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. He picked up the phone and dialed Kaname's direct line. After a few rings, the phone was answered. There was a _thud_ sound like perhaps the phone was dropped, followed by some grumbling.

"Hello?" a woman's voice said, groggy with sleep.

Kaien moved the phone away from his ear and looked at it oddly. Then he looked at the clock and noticed it was still early morning... for vampires, anyway.

"Yes. I'm sorry, maybe I dialed the wrong number. I was trying to get a hold of Kaname?"

"Chairman?"

There was a rustling sound and a voice being cleared. Kaien pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yes, this is the Chairman. Who is this?"

"Um, it's me."

"Who is me?" He took a sip of his tea.

"Daddy, it's me. Yuuki."

Kaien choked on the liquid and it sputtered out all over his desk. He leaned forward and held his hands out to the sides as he stared at the spattered papers, clearing his throat a few times before returning the phone to his ear.

"I-I see." He was happy his baby girl called him 'daddy', but not so happy that she was answering Kaname's phone sounding nothing like herself. He had to remind himself that she was a grown woman, or at least grown enough. She was also technically Kaname's fiance, even if she didn't know or remember it. Though that could always change. "Uh, Yuuki, my dear, is Kaname there? I need to speak with him."

"Um... yeah. Hold on a sec."

He heard the phone _click_ and imagined she placed it on the table, followed by further rustling. Was that bed sheets? Then he heard her voice, slightly further away.

"Kaname? Wake up." There was a grumbling sound from Kaname followed by Yuuki's giggles. "N-not now, Kaname! W-Wait!"

When he heard a soft moan from Yuuki, he blanched. He didn't want to hear such things, nor did he want to think of it.

"Why are you blushing? After what we did last night... and why are you pushing me away?" Kaname asked.

"K-Kaname! You have a phone call! The Chairman is on the line!"

"I don't want to talk on the phone," he whined. "I want to do other things instead." Yuuki giggled again and he heard a soft slap, followed by a heavy sigh. "Okay, okay." More rustling sounds and the phone being picked up. "Chairman."

"Kaname, nice of you to answer." Really, it was. Kaien was extremely happy for them, especially Kaname, but he wasn't sure how much more he could have listened to.

"It's early and I'm in bed with Yuuki, so I imagine there's something important to be calling me about at this hour."

"Yes. There was a dead body left for us—well, you—as well as a note. I'm sure you can guess from who."

The pureblood sighed. "Alright. I'll be there to meet with you shortly."

* * *

Kaname disconnected the line and flopped down on the bed face first. He exhaled slowly as he stared at the large window that was mostly covered by the heavy drapes. A triangle of light shined into the room. Dust lazily danced in the air. The bed shifted as Yuuki moved closer to him. She kissed his shoulder and propped herself up on her elbow.

"Do you have to go?" she asked.

"Unfortunately."

"What happened?"

He turned to face her and propped himself up as well. With his free hand, he traced her bottom lip and jaw, down her neck and over her shoulder to follow the length of her arm. She closed her eyes and turned into his touch, smiling.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled, not really paying attention. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "God, Yuuki. I love you so much," he breathed against her lips before kissing her again. He rolled on top of her and deepened the kiss, resting in between her legs.

Her hands ran up his shoulders and she grabbed his hair, running her fingers through it and feeling the softness of the strands. He pulled away, breathing heavily and looking at her with his reddish eyes, before rolling off of her and jumping out of bed.

"Hey!" Yuuki called out, feeling the loss of his warmth against her and hating it.

"Sorry." Kaname went into his closet and dressed quickly. He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth before splashing cold water on his face. "Mr. Rubber Ducky finds you utterly irresistible," he said when he entered the bedroom again. "If I don't leave now, I wont get anything done."

He placed his hands on the bed and leaned in, kissing her once more. When he broke the kiss, he stayed close to her face and looked into her deep, chocolate brown eyes.

"Will you stay here and wait for me?" He didn't want her leaving, especially if Rido continued to kill people. It wasn't clear what was on the note, but no doubt it wouldn't be pleasant. Especially after Shizuka's death. Kaname wanted her as safe as possible.

"But I have to patrol..." she trailed off.

"It's fine. The Chairman will understand and we already know who the vampire is."

"You do? Who? We need to go bring him or her in before they hurt someone!" Yuuki threw the sheets off of her, but before she could do anything else, Kaname grabbed her wrists and held her in place.

"No, Yuuki. Do _not_ try and go after him. He is much too strong for you to handle."

"I'll bring Aidou with me and the others."

"You don't understand. That rogue vampire that the Chairman was referring to is another pureblood. The others can't do anything against a pureblood and neither can you. Leave it to me."

Yuuki gasped and her jaw dropped. "Another _pureblood_? Like you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll stay here." Her eyes widened suddenly and she tugged her wrists free to grab his arms. "Kaname! Please be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."

Kaname smiled at her and covered her with the sheets again. All that exposed flesh was making him lose his concentration. He gave her another peck before leaving. When he entered the hall, he saw Seiren still standing there on guard. She bowed her head in greeting.

"Anything new?" he asked.

"Rido has entered the building twice since you left during the night to attend matters with Hio. Once shortly after you came back, staying only for a little while and then leaving again. Then the second time he stayed for the rest of the night. He's been in his room the entire time until recently. As of right now, he should be in the kitchen."

"Understood. Please stay here and continue to guard Yuuki. Do you need rest?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Very well."

Kaname descended down the steps and walked through the foyer and another hallway before entering the kitchen. There sat Rido on a bar stool, the same one that Yuuki sat it last night, twirling around and around with a grin on his face. Takuma stood a few feet away, suddenly on edge and wary now that the two purebloods were in the same room together.

"Helloooooo, Kaname! Welcome to the show! You are contestant number one."

Kaname looked at him impassively.

Rido's grin grew wider and he stopped the stool from spinning to face Kaname. "Well, contestant number one. The prize today is a lovely, recently turned eighteen year old female who is attending her last year of school at Cross Academy. If you play your cards right, you may win the prize. So, what'll you bid?" Kaname crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame, remaining silent. "You don't want to play, Kaname?"

"I have better things to do than play your silly games," Kaname stated.

Rido's grin vanished and was replaced with a deadly glare instead. He jumped off the stool, stood in front of Kaname and spoke in a low voice.

"Oh, I know, _nephew_. Like taking what's mine. Over and over again. Your just like your fucking father, taking Juri from me. You killed my whore," Rido inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he did so before opening them again, "and you've been fucking my wife-to-be."

"Would you like to settle things once and for all? Simply tell me where you have your real body and then we can talk. Or do you plan to continue being a coward and hide behind your son?"

Rido smiled again, his behavior and emotions switching back and forth and going up and down quickly. He tipped his head to the side in acknowledgment before blowing Kaname a kiss and leaving the kitchen. A moment later, the door to the Moon Dormitory was opened and then closed.

Kaname dropped his arms to his sides and looked at Takuma who looked unhappy and angry. "What is it, Ichijo?"

"Why do you purebloods play these games? Do you have any idea how many people get hurt because of them?"

He gave his old friend a sad smile and shrugged. "When you live forever, you get bored. What else is there to do to entertain yourself?"

"This is unbelievable. Life isn't a game you can play around with! Hurry up and do something about Rido before he ruins anything else! Or worse, kills again!" Takuma rushed out of the kitchen and out the dormitory to catch up to Rido.

"If you only knew..." Kaname whispered, looking down at the floor. He couldn't tell Takuma the truth, what was the point?

* * *

******A/N: Other than Kaien finding the girl and Kaname talking with Rido, I totally made everything else up on the fly as I started to write.**

******Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

******Thank you for reading.**


	17. Scorned Payback

**A/N: I'm glad some of you liked the "Rubber Ducky" naming. :P Admit it, you wouldn't care what Kaname's whoohoo was called if he pointed it at you and said, "Let's go."**

**There is a scene of dialogue via text messaging that does not have proper spelling or grammar. This was done purposefully and is not me being lazy/sloppy.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Darkness filled the area almost entirely. Two orbs of light flickered against the stone walls from the flames that produced them. Water followed cracks in the ceiling and dripped down the wall. The sounds of the flames flickering resonated throughout the vastly empty space. Not even the rats wanted to brave entering the underground cell.

Zero sat on the dirt ground with his back against the cold wall. One leg was propped up with his arm resting over it. His head hung down with his hair falling over his face. The top buttons of his shirt were undone and his jacket, which he assumed either Toga or the Chairman took off before shackling him, was slightly crumpled and next to him on the floor.

The hunger he felt was going in and out like the ocean's waves. One moment he would be okay and could breathe easily; the next, the gnawing hunger and burning sensation would return. It was a constant seesaw effect. To make things worse, he could still remember the taste of Yuuki's blood and that drove him crazy. The sweetest honey he could ever imagine.

It had been hours upon hours that he sat there, alone, contemplating everything and having his self-hatred simmer and rise. He wasn't sure what time or day it was. That taunting anti-vampire weapon, Bloody Rose, sat in plain view of him but out of reach. It rested on an old and shaky wooden table right outside his cell. If he could have reached it, he would have already taken his life.

There was a creaking sound from a heavy door opening and closing, followed by heavy footsteps down several steps before a tall, shadowed figure appeared. He sniffed, not bothering to raise his head to look at who it was, and knowing instantly that it was Toga. Toga... his old teacher. The one who should have shot him and killed him, but instead turned at the last moment and shot the white haired pureblood that was behind him instead.

Toga stepped into the diminutive light as he walked toward the bars that separated himself from Zero. He was angry and his body showed it with his quick steps and straight back. He scowled at Zero and let out a deep breath.

"Are you still suicidal? Do you have control over your urges yet? Have the hunger and madness turned you into a _Level E_ yet?" Toga waited for a response, any kind of response, but received none. Zero didn't move or acknowledge him at all. This only furthered his anger. "Stop being stupid, Zero. There is an attack coming and right now we could use you on our side."

Silence continued to greet him. Toga gripped the cell's spokes and jerked forward, rattling the bars. "If you're going to give up on yourself then fine! But don't come back to haunt me if she gets killed!" He noticed the flinch in Zero's posture and knew he hit a nerve. "I know how you feel about that girl. What're you going to do when the vampires attack and you're not there to protect her? If you want to be selfish and die then fine, die! Good riddance!"

Zero lifted his head slowly and stared at Toga. The older man was right, of course. He couldn't live with himself if he was stuck here, alone in a cell and wishing for death, if Yuuki was out there somewhere in trouble. There was no guarantee that Kaname could keep her safe.

He cleared his throat a few times to try and speak. "What attack?"

Toga smiled, feeling victorious. "What do you care if you're going to die here anyway? Isn't that what you want? I'll tell that girl you said 'bye bye' and you'll see her soon enough in the afterlife."

Zero snapped up from his seated position and growled at Toga, trying to reach out to him with his hands to claw at him. The chains stopped him short. He was jerked back as the metal links clacked.

"So, you have a little fight left in you after all? Good. Use those emotions churning in you toward combating against your hunger. Control it. Once you do, I'll let you out of here so you can protect her. Until then, you're stuck here."

Toga turned to leave but stopped after a few steps, turning back to Zero.

"But listen carefully, Zero. If I let you out and you lose your control again, the next time my bullet flies, it will give you that eternal kiss goodbye." He turned and left, going up the steps and leaving Zero to himself.

Zero slouched back against the wall, almost exhausted from using his body to move. He pondered on Toga's words. Maybe there was an upside to him turning into a vampire. Maybe, before he lost his sanity and his life, he could use his strength as a hunter and a vampire to protect Yuuki. That was the only way he could tolerate the outcome.

With a new resolution set, he became determined to master the urges running through his body. Zero sat with his legs criss-crossed and placed his hands on his knees. He straightened his back and took slow, even and deep breaths through his nose. Any time an urge to drink or devour something came, he evened his breathing again and repeated his mental mantra.

Mind over body, mind over body. Be strong for Yuuki. Protect Yuuki. Mind over body.

It slowly started to work. He was able to push back the most violent of the urges, though the dry, burning feeling in his throat was still there. The pain in his gums still throbbed. The fire in his veins still burned. But they were dulled now, much like it had been after he drank from Yuuki. This was good.

* * *

Yuuki was lounging around in a large living room in the Moon Dormitory. She sat in a chaise near the fire place that was in the center of the wall. It was surrounded by shelves that housed dozens of books and little, expensive looking crystal knickknacks. Hanabusa was sitting with his shoulders slumped and looking rather defeated. They had played various card games and Yuuki had won every single one.

"I still think you cheated somehow," he grumbled.

"Yeeah, yeaaah," she sing-songed, looking up at the ceiling and feeling the warmth from the flames.

"I just don't see how it's possible to lose so many times!"

"Maybe it's because you suck, Aidou," Ruka chimed in. She was sitting next to Rima at a table covered in fancy linens, reading a book. Akatsuki, who was leaning against a wall near her, snorted at her comment.

Hanabusa stuck his tongue out at her and grunted, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his back on her. "Hmph! Whatever."

Yuuki had changed out of her school uniform, opting for someone casual as she wasn't patrolling. She wore a soft, cream colored, light sweater and dark blue jeans that clung to her figure. There was a buzzing sound and Yuuki jumped. She reached into her pocket and took out the small cell phone that was left for her by Kaname. Opening it up and checking, she saw a text message from an unknown number.

"_It's Yori. Got this number from teh Chairman this AM. Leaving and want to say bye. Where R U?"_

Yuuki sat up and went to respond. _"Moon dorm. Can meet you somewhere. Where at?"_ She hit 'send' and waited while staring into the fire. A few moments later and her phone vibrated again.

"_The oak tree?"_

She smiled and agreed, pocketing the phone and standing. When she started to leave the room, the four nobles stood up and followed her. Yuuki stopped and turned to face them, brow raised.

"Are you guys going to follow me everywhere I go?"

"It is our duty to protect you. We cannot protect you if we are not with you," Akatsuki stated simply.

"Um... okay." She turned and went to the foyer, picking up her shoes and putting one of them on.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Where do you think you're going?" Ruka questioned, holding her hand out to stop Yuuki from putting the other shoe on.

"Out. Yori is leaving and I'm going to meet up with her to say bye."

Akatsuki shook his head. "We were all given strict orders to ensure you stay here and not leave. We can't let you go."

"What? That's ridiculous."

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

Yuuki turned to Hanabusa with pleading eyes and only received an apologetic shrug from the vampire. She huffed in defeat when she realized they were serious and wouldn't let her leave. Instead, she took the one shoe off and threw it at the ground. She stormed back into the room they were in and sat back on the chaise with frustration. Taking the phone out, she sent another text to the unknown number.

"_Sorry, something came up. Can't leave. Can you come here instead?"_ She sat at the edge of the chair, tapping her feet on the ground as she waited. It was a half hour before her phone vibrated again.

"_Yuuki I cant I'm sorry im about to do soething stupid"_

Confused, she replied back, _"Stupid? What do you mean? Like what?"_

"_Payback"_

"_Payback? I don't understand. Where are you?"_

She waited, getting more nervous as time went by without a response. Just what did Sayori mean? A tight ball of worry started forming in her stomach as she thought of Sayori's state of mind ever since she found out that Zero had used her. The only thing she could think of was that somehow she was going to do something that involved him.

"You guys!" she shouted. The four instantly became alert and stared at her, bodies poised for some sort of threat they weren't aware of yet. She flushed, a little embarrassed. "Um, eh... uh, I..."

"What is it, Yuuki?" Hanabusa asked.

"I, um... I have to pee!" she shouted again. They stared at her oddly, Hanabusa and Akatsuki turning away with a shade of pink touching their cheeks. It was the only thing she could think of that would allow her some privacy. "Yeah, that's right! I have to pee! And then afterwards, I want to take a long bath followed by a really long shower. Don't ask why, sometimes I like doing both! Okay? So, no peeking! If you try to go into the bathroom while I'm naked, I'm telling Kaname!"

They all blanched and nodded, not wanting to incur their leader's wrath. Yuuki got up and dashed toward the stairs, climbing them quickly and taking a few steps two at a time. When she got to the bedroom, she slammed the door shut and locked it. Quickly going to the large windows, she threw the drapes open and examined the distance from the window to the roof top. The drop wasn't too far, she had done worse. And once she was on the roof, she could jump down to the ground level by using the tree branches to break down the distance.

She nodded to herself with determination and ran to the closet, looking for a spare set of shoes. Kaname had somehow gathered some of her clothes and extra belongings and had brought them to his room. She didn't mind much, especially when she was staying with him. It especially came in handy now. She threw on a pair of soft leather boots and went to the bathroom, turning the shower head on and closing the doors behind her.

Returning to the large windows, she cracked one open. Adrenaline started pumping through her veins. Taking a deep breath, she threw a leg over the frame followed by the other, turning to let her body hang as she held on the window sill with both hands.

Taking one last look down with another deep breath, she let her hands go and dropped to the roof top. With a soft thud at her landing, she rolled forward on her side and stood, rubbing gravel and dirt off her. She looked around to see if anyone noticed her.

When she was sure she was clear, she ran quietly to the edge of the roof and jumped off.

* * *

The door above him opened and he wondered why Toga would be returning so quickly. He dismissed it, thinking it was good anyway. Now would be the perfect time to show Toga just how much progress he made in such a short time. Perhaps he could be released sooner than later.

The scent hit him before he saw or heard anything. It definitely wasn't Toga as it was most certainly a familiar female scent. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily when he noticed the scent of blood as well. His body surged in reaction to it. This shouldn't be happening. Why? He had to control himself. This may have actually been a good thing though. The best way to test his control was in the presence of blood without an actual way to get it.

Her steps were soft and unrushed, the very opposite of Toga's earlier. When she made it to the front of the cell, she placed her palm against the wooden table and leaned against it, looking at him.

"What are you doing here, Sayori?"

Zero opened his eyes to stare at her. She was wearing casual clothing rather than her school uniform, so he surmised she was getting ready to leave the school grounds. The clothing was tidy, but she didn't look like her normal self. Her hair, though brushed, was a little frizzy. Dark circles highlighted her empty eyes and shallow cheeks. The normal rosy, glowing skin she usually had was now pale and lifeless.

"I'm here..." she stopped, putting away a small phone in her coat pocket and taking in his demeanor, noticing the dirt and sweat on his clothes. The way his hair clung to his neck and how his body trembled. "I'm here to tell you goodbye, Zero. My parents are here to pick me up."

Zero stared at her oddly while fighting his body to remain calm. The scent of her blood and the proximity of it was too much. He was trying his hardest to control himself, but it was much more difficult than he expected when faced with the one thing the demon in him wanted. Blood. But why would she go out of her way to come here and tell him goodbye? Especially with how things happened between them.

"How did you find me here?" he said through clenched teeth.

"I was going to meet up with Yuuki just now when I saw the Chairman talking to a guy with an eye-patch. I heard the guy say he would let you out of the cell when you got better, so I decided to switch directions and come here instead."

"How did you know where the cell was?"

"I've known for a while. When I first came to this academy, I found it by accident when I was looking around and exploring. It wasn't easy, it's really well hidden." She looked away from him and hovered her hand over the table, as if feeling the grains in the wood without touching it. Her eyes fell on the anti-vampire gun and her hand froze over it.

Zero tensed. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? If she had come an hour earlier, he would have told her exactly how to handle the weapon to put him out of his misery. Now though... now, he wanted to live. He wanted to get out of this cage and protect Yuuki. The way her eyes glossed over while staring at the gun actually made him nervous.

"S-so, you're here to say bye? Thank you." He tried to grab her attention again. He needed her to latch on to his voice and break her trance. "Sayori. Sayori, hey!"

She jerked and snapped her head back to him. "W-what?"

"Sayori, I'm sorry about what I did. I really am. I should never have done that and I know it's wrong. I don't expect you to forgive me, I know I don't deserve it. But I just... I'm sorry."

Tears welled up in her eyes and her body shook as she tried not to cry. "I accept your apology, Zero, but I can't forgive you." She sniffed as she picked up the gun, her eyes still locked on to his. She whispered to him, voice hoarse with pain, "I told you, Zero... I told you that I'd make you pay when you least expect it."

She pointed the gun at him as her arms trembled. As if she was well accustomed to weaponry, she removed the safety and put her finger over the trigger.

"I want you to feel some of the pain I feel," she quietly said.

"Sayori, don't! N—"

His body jerked back and was thrown against the wall. His ears echoed from the _bang_ and he yelled out as pain bloomed from the wound. His eyes watered and were shut tight, but he could still see the pink glow from the gun's magic as it's symbol burned into his right shoulder. Gasping for breath, he quickly put his left hand over the hole, trying to stop the bleeding by putting pressure on it.

The burning he felt before from the hunger was nothing compared to the flaming inferno he felt now. His entire body trembled and he could barely remain on his knees. He started sweating as he felt nauseated, everything suddenly spinning and spinning.

"You'll live," Sayori whispered. "And it'll take time to heal, but during that time you'll feel a fraction of the pain I feel every minute of every day since that day. Just feel lucky, Zero." She dropped the gun on the table and put her face against the bars. "Feel lucky that your wound will eventually close up and heal, pretty quickly if you can get blood. But mine wont. Mine will stay with me for a long time."

She turned around and left without another word. Zero coughed and panted as he tried to contain everything that was too quickly spinning out of his control. He fell forward and rolled to his uninjured side, trying to force himself to remain calm and ride out the pain. It was so strong, he would have passed out if it hadn't forced him to remain awake to be aware the entire time. To feel absolutely everything.

* * *

Yuuki thrust the door open, causing it to slam against the wall and bounce back, as she flurried in and ran to the desk. She placed her palms flat on the top and leaned over, gasping for air from her frantic running.

The Chairman pushed his glasses up his nose and took in her demeanor. Had something happened to Kaname? The pureblood had only recently left; his beautiful daughter had somehow just missed him. He brushed the idea aside. There was no way something could have happened so quickly and so close to him without him being aware of it.

"Chairman!" she huffed. "Where... is Zero? I need to see him right now!"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because! It's really important!"

"What happened?"

"I... I can't get into it right now! Just please, Daddy!" she shouted, staring at him with pleading eyes. "I swear I'll call you 'daddy' at least a hundred times more!"

He was shocked, to say the least. And extremely happy. There wouldn't be any harm to her since he was locked in the cell. This could actually be a good training exercise for him. It was a deal he couldn't pass up.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But first, you already know his secret, right? That he's a vampire?" Yuuki nodded. "Okay, just go easy on him. It hasn't been easy for him the past four years."

"I understand, thank you."

* * *

Something seemed... odd. Hanabusa had been around Yuuki enough to know when she was acting weird and out of sorts. And her earlier affirmation of having to urinate just didn't sit well with him. Not that he was willing to go in and check to make sure that's what she was doing but... She had taken a shower earlier in the day, after Kaname had left for his meeting with the Chairman. So why would she need to take another one in such a short period of time?

He started pacing back and forth, pondering what to do. Checking in on her seemed fine. He could do that while remaining in the hallway. What if she didn't answer? There was no way he could open the door to check. That would mean a sure death. Death by Kaname. He wondered how he would be killed.

Quickly, he hoped. Or maybe Kaname would throw him in a dungeon with a million rats to allow him to be pecked at constantly until he died. Or maybe he would hang him upside down and force him in the sun constantly with no shade or nourishment. A guillotine was fast, perhaps. Though he would know the entire time that the blade was coming down.

Hanabusa whined and threw his hands in his hair, leaning his head back. "Ahhh! Screw it! Either way, I'm dead!"

Ruka, Akatsuki and Rima stared up at him. He glared in return and puffed out his chest before spinning in his spot and leaving the room with his head held high.

"I think he's a masochist," Rima whispered.

Hanabusa chose to ignore the comment and kept walking. Each step he took up the stairs made it seem like his legs got heavier and heavier. When he reached the top, he was almost sweating from his nerves. The hallway seemed to elongate and stretch, going on forever as he took another step closer.

What if Kaname returned from his meeting and misunderstood why he was knocking on his bedroom door when his naked lover was behind it? He gulped and loosened the collar at his neck, looking nervously around for any signs of Kaname. Seiren was no longer in the hallway either. What if this was some sort of conspiracy against him?

He chuckled anxiously. Since when was he such a paranoid freak? When he finally got to the end of the hall that housed Kaname's bedroom, he knocked on the door and waited. It didn't go past him that he had been doing this quite often lately: knocking on doors and waiting. The sounds of the shower running could faintly be heard with his vampire hearing. He started swinging his hands back and forth, clapping them together when they met in the middle.

"Yuuuuukiiiii. Are you there? Can you hear me?"

He placed his ear on the door and tried to listen for a break or a variation to the water flow. After listening for at least a minute and not noticing any differences in the sound, he hesitantly opened the door a fraction and peeked in with one eye.

"Oohh, Yuuuukiiii. I'm entering the room now," he called out.

The door was nudged open a little more before he heard a whistling sound. Pushing the door open with his foot and entering the room completely, his eyes immediately fell to the open window. He started to panic as he rushed to the windows and peeked out.

"Calm down, calm down. It's fine. She could have just opened the window for some air. She's probably in the shower now. Yup, that's right. She's not gone. She's not missing. Lord Kaname isn't going to kill me."

He ran to the bathroom and knocked on the door, bouncing on his feet with impatience. "C'mon, Yuuki. You're in there, right? Come out, please." He waited, looking from the window to the crumpled sheets on the bed to the bathroom door. Not able to take it anymore, he closed his eyes and opened it, holding his breath.

Inhaling first and not noticing any sorts of scents except the water, he opened one eye and then the other. She wasn't there.

"Damn it!"

* * *

Once she obtained the information required, she ran out of the building into the afternoon sunlight. It wasn't as hot anymore as the seasons started to change. It was still rather breezy and her hair swung back and forth from her movements. She ran to the location that the Chairman had told her about as fast as she could, wanting to make sure that she got there in time before anything bad happened. The feeling that something was going to go wrong kept eating away at her and she couldn't help but worry.

After passing the location several times, as it was extremely difficult to find, her heart was racing and she was extremely relieved to not find Sayori lurking about. She entered the building and noticed the immediate darkness as she started to go down the spiral stone steps. Her hand shot out to the wall to steady herself since it was too difficult for her to see.

When she made it to the bottom, she gasped as she saw Zero behind bars, chained to the wall like an animal. There was hardly any light for her to see very well. The two torches up high on the walls didn't illuminate much more than a small semicircle. Zero was in the fetal position with his back to her. All she could hear was his panting.

She slowly approached the bars. "Z-Zero?"

His body arched and jerked at the sound of her voice as if he'd been electrocuted. He did an odd flip until he was on his haunches and facing her. She saw blood everywhere. On the floor, the wall, his clothes and neck, even his face and mouth. He bared his fangs at her and hissed, eyes the color of molten lava.

"Zero? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

He growled in response and held his hands out as if he were getting ready to tackle her. His shoulder looked completely gnawed at and when she looked from the wound to his face and back to his wound again, she was struck by horror.

"Did... did you bite yourself, Zero? Are you drinking your own blood?" He hissed and ran forward only to be jerked back when the chains were pulled taught. "Oh my God... what happened to you? What are they doing to you in here? I have to get you some help."

She went to the cell's door and tried to open it, but it was locked. She tugged at it and shook it as if doing so would loosen the bolts in place and allow her entry. When she pulled back in frustration, she cut her finger on an embossed piece of metal. A few drops of blood pooled at the location.

"Ow! Damn it..."

At the scent of her blood, Zero—who was in a state of animalistic rage—started pulling at the chains repeatedly, trying to get closer to the source of his food. Growling the entire time, he continuously pulled at the chains, completely fixated on his one goal.

Yuuki looked up at the sudden sounds and stood still, shocked. "Zero? Calm down! I'm here to help you. I'm not going to abandon you, no matter what. You're my family, Zero, and my friend."

Though Zero's strength wasn't at his peak due to being shot by Bloody Rose, his hunter bloodline as well as his vampire blood made him far superior than what the wall could withstand. The bolts that were fastened high above that connected the chains attached to his shackles started to loosen from the constant forceful yanking. Cracks began to form from the metal rods as small chips of cement fell in trails of dust.

"Zero, calm down." Yuuki held her hands out, trying to not make any sudden movements. "It's okay, see? It's fine."

With a couple more quick and frantic jerks, both bolts broke from their casings. As soon as the slack in the chains loosened, Zero surged forward and threw his hands through the gaps in the bars, grabbing on to Yuuki's retreating form and slamming her against them. He snarled and bit at the air between them, frustrated with the bars being in his way of biting into her flesh. His hold on her tightened and she screamed out at being crushed against the frame. His fingers curled in, grabbing fistfuls of her sweater. One hand snaked up her chest and wrapped around her neck, nails digging into her skin.

Her eyes widened and for the first time ever, she was truly frightened of Zero.

* * *

**A/N: Just want to thank you guys again for supporting me by reading, reviewing and following/favoriting. It really means a lot and it certainly puts a smile on my face to know people enjoy the story.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	18. Decisions Made

**A/N: Where do pirates like to eat at?**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

"No!" Hanabusa shouted as he instantly manipulated the moisture in the air around Zero and froze him in place. What he saw was no longer the arrogant hunter that annoyed him but a _Level E_ with no control and nothing on his mind but blood, the next feeding.

He ran up to Yuuki who was staring at him in horror. Tears fell from her wide eyes and ran down her face as she desperately tried to break free of Zero's grip on her. Little crescent moon marks marred her throat from Zero's nails. Relief washed over him when he realized he was able to stop Zero from tearing Yuuki's throat out before it was too late.

"Damn it, Yuuki! It's a good thing you smell!" Hanabusa shouted at her as he pried Zero's hands away from her and pulled her away from the bars. He removed his magic over the ice and let is disappear, releasing Zero from it's frozen chamber. Zero immediately started clawing at the air as he pushed against the bars, trying desperately to grab one of them. His growls and snarls echoed around the vast area.

With a forceful tug back, Hanabusa put more space between them and Zero, forcing Yuuki to stand behind him so he could be in between them. He turned to her and glared at her. "I don't mean smell as in smell bad, okay? I mean, I know your scent well enough now to pick it up easily. Especially your blood!" He grabbed her hand and lifted it up, examining the cut.

"D-don't bite me like you did last time!"

"Don't worry about it. I'm more angry than thirsty right now. What if I didn't make here on time, Yuuki? You'd be dead! What would Lord Kaname do then? Just what the hell were you thinking running off without telling anyone anything at all?! Are you insane?!"

"I'd like to know the same thing," a deep and angry voice said from behind them.

Yuuki and Hanabusa both yelped and jerked as they turned toward the sound, not realizing that someone else had entered. Kaname stood leaning against the stone wall with his arms crossed over his chest, almost engulfed in the shadows. His black button up shirt and hair blended in with the darkness, making it appear like half his face was floating on it's own. His white pants seemed to try and suck in as much of the meager light as possible. He seemed calm and relaxed, but the vibe that he gave off was anything but. It was a cold, resolute anger.

"L-Lord K-K-Kaname. I uh, I can explain," Hanabusa tried to pacify.

"Don't bother, Aidou," he said smoothly. His eyes turned to Yuuki. "I already know."

Hanabusa looked from Kaname to Yuuki and gulped. Yuuki stared at Kaname, still frightened and confused over everything that had happened. She felt guilty for some reason, as if she were caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. Somehow, she felt like she cheated on him.

"K-Kaname, I'm sorry," she said.

He remained quiet as he stared at her, not moving or making any noise. "Aidou," he said, continuing to look at Yuuki.

"Yes, Lord Kaname?"

"Could you escort the young lady back to the Moon Dormitory, please?"

"Y-Yes, of course."

Kaname turned his head and looked inside the cell where Zero was. He moved away from the wall and stood next to the wooden table, giving Yuuki and Hanabusa a wide berth. Hanabusa grabbed Yuuki's arm and tugged her forward, urging her to go on.

She looked back at Kaname, wanting to say something or at least have him look at her. She didn't want to leave on such an awkward note. It felt like he was mad at her and she didn't want it to be that way. There was also the matter of what he was going to do with Zero. This was twice that Zero had attacked her. Exactly how many times could she plead for his life with Kaname obliging her request?

"K-Kaname, wait," she called out.

He didn't turn back to look at her but instead focused on Zero. Hanabusa continued to tug her away up the stairs. When the door closed, he moved around the table and knelt down on his haunches in front of the cell, resting his forearms on his knees as he steepled his fingers. Zero, who was a ravenous, uncontrollable beast before, sat back in a corner of the cell, as far away from Kaname as possible. Zero hugged his legs to his chest as he eyed Kaname warily and growled lowly.

It was obvious Zero's vampire instincts finally kicked in, feeling that he was a pureblood and knowing the power he had. For Zero to lose his control so quickly after feeding on Yuuki was something that he wasn't expecting. He examined the wound in Zero's shoulder and noticed the hole from his former anti-vampire gun he used to wield. Around the hole were bite marks. There was no doubt that once he was shot and lost enough blood, he lost his control over his human side and the vampire side took over, wanting to taste and consume blood. Even if it was his own.

He sighed heavily as he stared at the once silver eyes that were now a shouting bright red. He had picked up on Yuuki's scent and was already following it when he saw Hanabusa running at vampire speed. Kaname had entered the cell right behind Hanabusa, but the blonde was so busy dramatically freezing Zero that the young noble didn't notice anything else. Not even that Kaname had already exerted his power to halt Zero from moving, resulting in Yuuki not being in any further danger. He wasn't one that liked forcing lesser vampires to do as he bid with his pureblood abilities, but this was a case he didn't have any qualms about. Once Yuuki was away from the bars, there was no point in holding him in place, so he removed his hold over Zero at the same time as Hanabusa.

"Well, Kiryu." He tapped his fingers together. "It appears there's a decision I have to make right now. Let you live and try to save you or let you die."

Zero growled a little louder which caused Kaname to shake his head and chuckle.

"Twice now you've laid your filthy hands on Yuuki with the intent of harm. I really should kill you and who knows, maybe one day I'll have that wish granted. For now, it appears that I'll have to try and save you because of Yuuki's attachment to you.

You've unfortunately forced my hand in a way I didn't want. You're going to drink my blood, Kiryu, whether you like it or not. The problem is, we'll both have to endure the physical contact of it. Well then, shall we get it over with?"

Kaname stood and forced the locks in the cell's door to unlock. He slid the door open, listening to it rattle against it's metal framework before entering the cell and walking toward Zero. Zero flinched when he stood directly in front of him.

He knelt once more and unbuttoned his shirt sleeve, rolling it up to his elbow. He never took his eyes off of Zero, who was staring at him with curiosity, hunger and fear. Kaname sighed heavily, knowing that what was to come next was inevitable at this point. He moved his wrist in front of Zero and held it there, waiting for Zero to do what was needed. Instead, the hunter stared at his wrist and growled.

"You're going to make even this difficult, aren't you?" Kaname sighed again and bit into his own wrist, tasting his own blood as it coated his tongue.

The scent of his blood filled the air which caused Zero to whine. Once again, he put his wrist in front of Zero, letting him see the blood and smell it better. That was all the prompting the young hunter needed. He struck out like a snake and bit into Kaname's wrist, latching on and sucking the pureblood's life force greedily. Zero grabbed onto Kaname's hand and arm, ensuring it wouldn't go anywhere as he drank.

Kaname felt disgusted to feel Zero's fangs in his skin. To think that those very fangs were in Yuuki's neck, a much more intimate position, only furthered his repulsion of the boy. He tried to remain impassive and unmoving as Zero drank, but he kept itching to rip Zero's throat out and wash the floors with the blood. The things he did for Yuuki's sake...

With every gulp Zero took, his control over his emotions started slipping. The two torches that lit the room were snuffed as his power pulsed out in a wave. Before he could stop himself, his power acted on its own accord and ripped Zero's mouth away from his wrist and slammed him into the wall. Pieces of it cracked and dusted over Zero's head and shoulders.

Kaname leaned forward and placed his hands on the floor, breathing heavily to try and contain himself. His long hair fell in his face and obstructed his view of everything except the dirt ground and his thighs. Zero remained frozen in place, the effects of Kaname's and Shizuka's blood rippling through his body and mixing with his own blood. It calmed him and brought him to his senses, freeing him from the permanent transition into a _Level E_.

"Zero," he said quietly, voice cold and hard. The silver haired vampire opened his eyes and lifted them to look at the pureblood. Kaname sat up and placed a hand on the wall, leaning in slowly until he was at Zero's ear. He menacingly whispered to him, "I own you now."

* * *

"Aidou, let me go. I want to go back and talk to Kaname. This isn't fair, you know. You can't just drag me around everywhere!"

Yuuki was complaining and going on and on as Hanabusa continued to drag her back to the Moon Dormitory, all the while scanning the area for any threats. He was absolutely livid with Yuuki and what she did. All he wanted was to get her back indoors for Kaname's sake. Try as he might, he made every attempt to ignore her griping and say nothing, but when she tried to tug her hand free from his hold again, he purposefully let go. It caused her to lose her balance and fall back to land on her butt.

"Ow!"

Hanabusa turned to her, his arms taut at his sides and hands fisted. "Enough!"

"Eh?" Yuuki looked up at him, not bothering to stand yet.

"I've had enough of your complaining, Yuuki! Do you have any idea how serious the situation is right now? You almost _died_. Do you even understand that?! Look at your throat! Kiryu almost ripped it out and I was just barely there in time to stop it. And what if it wasn't me but someone else who couldn't freeze him in place? By the time they reached your body, it would've been too late! Aaaaall because you're acting like a selfish, spoiled brat right now!"

"What the hell? No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are! You purposefully went behind our backs and snuck out to run to Kiryu. You caused everyone around you, not just you, to be in danger. Did you ever think of that? Don't you think we would have been held responsible if something happened to you? How is that fair to Akatsuki, Ruka, Rima and myself? What do you think Lord Kaname would have done to us? And what do you think he would have felt if you were killed when he's finally got you in his life as his girlfriend? How would you feel if Lord Kaname just suddenly died right now?"

"I... I didn't think of any of that..."

"No, of course not! Instead of coming to us and saying, 'Hey, I think something is wrong with Kiryu. Can we go check on him?' you chose to run off by yourself. Whereas if you _told_ us, one of us could have gone to check on him _for_ you. Or you could have called the Chairman and asked him. But nooo, you decided to run around without protection."

"But..."

"I don't want to hear it! Minus all that, did you suddenly forget about the whole reason we're all up in arms right now? You think Lord Kaname or any of us _likes_ forcing someone into a twenty-four seven protection detail? Even though we've all befriended you, do you think any of us _likes_ taking away certain freedoms from you? No! We wouldn't want it for ourselves and we don't want it for you! But unfortunately, it's not about what we want. It's about making sure you stay alive."

"I-I'm sorry, Aidou." Yuuki finally stood and shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"Because in case you've forgotten, that damn Rido Kuran is still out there and he's got his sights on you for some reason." Hanabusa was fuming. He knew it wasn't fair for her to be forced into this type of situation, especially so suddenly, but talk about fairness could come after Rido was killed. It was only a temporary situation, whereas if she were killed, that'd be kind of permanent.

She cocked her head to the side and stared at Aidou. "Kuran?"

Hanabusa froze, realizing his slip too late. The tension in his body melted away as it was replaced with nervousness. There had to be a way to back-peddle and take back what he said. "Kura-what?"

"You said, 'Rido Kuran' just now. That's the name of the rogue pureblood?"

"Uh, um. I don't know what you're talking about. Where'd that name come from? Quit being weird. We have to go back now." He turned and started leaving.

"Wait!" Yuuki jogged to catch up with him. "You said it, I heard you! Kuran as in the same Kuran like Kaname? Are they related? Is that his father?"

"No, that's not his father." Hanabusa stopped and faced her. "You should already know his parents are dead. Rido Kuran is Kaname's uncle."

Her eyes widened. "Uncle? I didn't know he had any family left. Why is his uncle after me?"

"Hmm, that's actually a good question that I've been asking myself since I found out." Hanabusa became distracted as he thought of it. "It doesn't make sense but I've come to the conclusion that you're not really normal." He poked at her cheek.

"You're right," a stranger's voice said from behind them.

For the second time that day, they both yelped and flinched, turning to the sound of the voice. There stood a tall man in black dress pants and a maroon shirt, a long black coat resting on his shoulders unbuttoned. His hair was long and curled at the tips, reaching past his shoulders. He was only a couple inches taller than Hanabusa, but to Yuuki he seemed like an overbearing giant. He had a strong resemblance to Kaname and the family features was definitely obvious.

"Shit..." Hanabusa said, putting himself between Rido and Yuuki. Rido smiled at him. "Yuuki, run. Run back to Kaname. Now, quickly."

"She's not really going anywhere, now is she?" Rido asked.

His eyes shined with excitement as he nodded at Yuuki. Hanabusa turned around to look at her, to see why she hadn't started running, and noticed that she was frozen in place and staring at Rido with fear and recognition.

"Yuuki? Do you know who this is?"

"Those... eyes..." she said, almost to herself.

Hanabusa turned back to Rido, noticing that his irises were different colors. One was an icy blue, much like his, and the other was a reddish-brown, much like Kaname's. He tried to weigh his options. Their current location was no good. To reach the dorm and to go back to Kaname was about the same distance. There wasn't much he could do against a pureblood, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

"What do you want, Kuran?"

"Why do you think I have to explain anything to you, Aidou? Step aside or I will make you."

"I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not letting you lay a finger on her!" Hanabusa tensed, ready to block an attack or strike out if need be. He sent a silent prayer for Kaname to forget about Zero and come out of the cell so he could pick up on Rido's scent.

Rido stared at Hanabusa for a moment before he started laughing, throwing his head back in the process and covering his face with a hand. "Oh... oh, wow. That's so funny, kid. This is the first time an aristocrat has _ever_ stood up to me. It tingles. I like it." He lowered his hand and pointed at Hanabusa. "I like you, kid. You've got some spirit so I wont kill you. But you're still in my fucking way. So move."

Hanabusa stood his ground, body poised. "No."

The pureblood's smile slowly vanished to be replaced with a sinister glare. He cut his thumb with his nail and changed the few drops of blood into his signature whip. Since he was in his own body, his powers were far greater than when he was using his son's. He jerked his wrist, letting the whip snap in the air and hit the dirt next to Hanabusa. Though Yuuki jolted from the action, the young vampire didn't so much as flinch.

"Hmm, I really _do_ like you, kid. Way better than Taku-Taku. But seriously, it's time for you to fuck off."

Before Hanabusa could react, Rido had the whip wrapped around his neck tightly. It curled around and cut off his air supply. Not bothering to reach up to grab the whip, he froze the blood in it instead and made it shatter. He then used his power to throw the small, jagged pieces of frozen blood at Rido, who stood in place and allowed himself to get pierced by each piece.

Rido looked down and noted each tiny shard protruding out of his chest, arms and legs. It reminded him of little needles in a voodoo doll. To say he was stunned was an understatement. He threw his head back again as he barked out a hearty laugh. Tears kissed his eyes from the amusement. When the bout of laughter faded, he took in several calming breaths, chuckling in between each.

"Wow, Aidou. I've pretty much got a hard on for you now. Any other time, I'd stay and play with you. Unfortunately, I have some business to attend to so my time is limited." His hand shot out and grabbed Hanabusa by the throat, squeezing hard and choking him. He lifted him up with one hand, Hanabusa holding on to his arm as his feet dangled. "Bye bye now, sugar tits." He punched Hanabusa's face hard, knocking him unconscious and shoving him away.

Yuuki remained frozen in place, her hand covering her mouth as she continued to stare at Rido. When he approached her, she took a step back and went to reach for Artemis. She grabbed thin air and looked down, remembering that she hadn't attached the holster to her thigh after changing.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk Yuuki. You were about to attack your own family? My feelings are hurt."

"You're not my family."

He grabbed her wrist and tugged her to his chest, embracing her lovingly. She tried to push away from him but he tightened his hold around her waist, lifting her one arm up above her head.

"I'm more your family than Kaname is."

"W-What? What are you talking about? Let me go!"

Rido looked at her confused and flushed face. "Oh, this is good," he chuckled. "Kaname still hasn't told you anything? Not even after I let you start remembering, you still don't know shit?" He swayed back and forth, making her move with him as if they were dancing.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you remember of your parents, Yuuki?"

"N-nothing. Just that they're dead." She tugged at her hand and pushed at his chest.

"Yeah, they're dead. Do you know how? No? I killed them. Well, I killed your father. Your mother, she kinda took her own life when she sacrificed herself to make you forget everything. If it wasn't for that fucking Kaname, I would have had you already."

"No, you're lying! Why would you do that?!" She stomped down on his foot but he didn't react. Instead, he moved her closer to him and nuzzled her neck.

"I'm not lying. And why? Why the fuck not? Haruka and Juri betrayed me. She was supposed to be with me. What kind of siblings would do that to their own brother?"

"Siblings?"

"Yes, Yuuki. They were my younger brother and sister. And you're my niece and fiance. Now be a good girl and kiss your future husband hello."

"Stop it!" She moved her face away from his when he tried to kiss her. "You're insane! You're a pureblood and I'm human. There's no way we're related. You're crazy!"

He pushed her down on the ground and crawled on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. He kissed her cheek and sniffed at her neck.

"Crazy? I was crazy once. They locked me up in a big, blue balloon. It was dark; I hate the dark. I died. They buried me. There were worms; I hate the worms. Worms drive me craaaaazy. Craaaaazy. Crazy? I was crazy once..."

"Shut up!" She tried to shove him off of her. He let go of her arms and grabbed her head.

Rido stopped suddenly and sat up on her lap. When she tried slapping at him, he grabbed her hands again and held them. He looked in the direction of where the cell was located, sensing that Kaname had just exited it. His plans were ruined now. Time was of the essence. The only thing he could do was break more of the seal on her memory and come back later with his army.

"Well, fuck. Looks like we're being interrupted. Hey babe, I gotta jet but I'll be back. In the meantime, think of me, 'kay?" He leaned down and kissed her forehead, letting his power leak into her like he did the last time.

"Rido!" Kaname yelled as he got closer, running toward them.

Rido stood up and darted away, leaving Yuuki on the ground as some of her memories started leaking from the cracks in the seal. Like before, things started rushing forward and constantly switching, changing from one memory to the other before she could fully grasp and understand them. The only consistent thing was the shade of red, a streak of it slashed across her vision and covering everything in a dripping liquid.

Everything started spinning and when she tried to sit up, the world spun out of control and she fell back down again. Kaname reached her just then, kicking up dust as he stopped himself suddenly from the speed he was running at. He dropped down next to her and ran his hands over her.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did he touch you? What did he do to you?" He lifted her up and placed her back against his chest as he held her, running his eyes over her to make sure there was nothing wrong or amiss.

"Ka...name...?"

"Yes, Yuuki. I'm here. What's wrong, my dear girl?" He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her temple.

Tears suddenly sprang up and stung her eyes. She sniffed and shuddered. "What's happening to me? Why am I seeing these things?"

"It's okay, Yuuki. It'll be fine. Don't think about it. Forget it, please."

"I can't. It wont let me." Her head started to pound in pain as the images kept coming. "There's a woman and a man and a boy. They all look the same. Who are they? Why am I seeing them? Are they my parents? Do I have a brother? Is he alive?"

"Sshh, Yuuki."

"I'm always so much trouble for you. I'm always needing saving."

"You save me with every breath you take. I love you, Yuuki. I'll come rescue you every single time."

The pain started to throb and intensify in sync with her heartbeat. She clasped her hands over her head and turned over on her side, huddling up into a small ball. Sweat broke out over her brow as she whined. When the pain intensified, she screamed out in pain before finally fainting. Kaname stared at her, frozen for a second. Even unconscious, her features were strained. It was too late now. He had no choice but to awaken her.

Picking her up carefully and cradling her close to him, he looked over at Hanabusa's slumped body a few feet away. He walked up to him and nudged him with his foot. The noble groaned and moved his head to the side before his eyes fluttered open.

Hanabusa had to blink a few times before his vision cleared. The first thing he saw was Kaname with Yuuki standing above him. Then the pain in his face sank in and he sat up, massaging the spot he was hit. Shortly afterward, the realization that Kaname was in fact standing in front of him with Yuuki in his arms registered. He jumped up and looked around for signs of Rido.

"Lord Kaname! Rido! He was just here! Where is he? Is Yuuki okay?" His hands fluttered over Yuuki as his face scrunched up with concern. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her very well."

"Aidou, you did fine. If you weren't here... I don't want to imagine what could have happened to her."

"T-Thank you, Lord Kaname."

"We need to leave now." They both went back to the Moon Dormitory in silence.

* * *

Kaname was pacing back and forth in front of his bed with his hands in his pocket. His bare feet hardly made any noise against the carpeted floor. He had removed his jacket, wearing only his dirtied white pants and his black shirt that was completely unbuttoned. The room was mostly dark, opting not to turn any of the lamps on. The drapes to the windows were pulled back to allow the glow from the moon to shine in and light the room naturally. He had opened both of the large windows to allow the night's cool breeze to come through.

Yuuki was in the middle of the bed, lying over the sheets. He had changed her out of her clothes and into a white nightgown with long sleeves. With a wet cloth, he had wiped away her sweat and dirt, making sure she was clean. It was well into the night now and she had still not awoken. He wondered what was wrong, but continued to wait for her to wake up by herself to see what kind of state of mind she would be in. If she woke up fine, then perhaps he wouldn't need to turn her yet. But if not...

There was no word from the others regarding the whereabouts of Rido. Senri had woken up as his old self, apologizing profusely for everything that Rido had done while in his body. The seven Night Class students had left the dorm per his instructions and were patrolling the academy grounds, keeping an eye out for Rido or his men.

He heard Yuuki groan and shift and he immediately went to her side, sitting on the bed next to her and putting his hands on either side of her. Staring down at her face, he waited to see if she would wake up or do anything. Her breathing was even and her temperature had gone down. Worry made his muscles tense. She finally opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him. His heart dropped at the sight of her crazed eyes.

"It's... all red, Kaname. Everything is covered in blood."

"I know, Yuuki. It's going to be okay. I'll make it all better, I promise."

He sighed heavily before he shifted, climbing on top of her and hovering over her, nudging her legs apart as he rested in between them. She instantly wrapped herself around him. He brushed her hair away from her neck, the opposite side of where Zero had bitten her, and lowered his head.

"Haruka, Juri... forgive me," he whispered against her flesh. He bit into Yuuki's neck and drank her blood, exerting his power and wrapping it around her to properly break the seal on her vampiric side.

* * *

**A/N: Aarrrrrrrrrrby's.**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	19. Sleeping Beauty

**A/N: First, longer than usual chapter, sorry!  
Second, sorry for the long wait (a week! wtf?!). :(  
Third, probably one more chapter before I see this coming to a close. And then the bonus chapter.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

Conflicted. Conflicted was how Zero felt as he sat on the dirt floor of the cell in darkness, alone. He hadn't bothered getting up after Kaname had left. Instead, he remained there in thought once he knew that his body was no longer changing. The cell door was still opened and the anti-vampire chains were still attached to him, though they were no longer connected to the wall. There was nothing keeping him there except himself.

Even with the initial swallow of Kaname's blood, he felt the vast difference over Yuuki's. There was first an explosive, volcanic eruption-like reaction. The foreign blood tried to over power his own as it pumped through his veins, ingraining itself with Zero's very being. After that sensation passed, it turned into a humming, harmonic melding as the power enriched blood fused with his.

Almost instantly, he felt the demonic beast within him shiver and fall back into a caged darkness. He had become conscious again, almost human. The hunger was no longer the one and only burning desire. His body no longer hurt and he felt in control again. There was no trembling, no uncertainty that he may attack someone, no pain. His head felt clear, his gums no longer throbbed, and he felt powerful. Secure. Positive. In control.

Conflicted.

The fact remained that he drank Kaname's blood. On one hand, he was extremely grateful for the donation as it halted his decent to a _Level E_ and returned him to himself. On the other, he was utterly disgusted that he even _had_ to drink Kaname's blood, enforcing the fact that he truly was a monster, a vampire, just like the rest of them. A part of him still wished he died, but that part was outweighed over his determination to protect Yuuki. Though Kaname's words still rang in his mind, loud and clear.

After Kaname had blasted him back, he didn't dare move or say anything. His body was still in shock over the feast as it started to change; once his mind cleared, it was in shock over what had happened. When Kaname slowly leaned in with that deadly look in his eyes, almost like it was a struggle not to kill him, he actually felt an inkling of fear. He wasn't sure if that was due to the fact that his vampire side automatically reacted to Kaname's pureblood status, if it was Kaname's doing as his blood was now in his system, or if it was because he was actually scared. Either way, he was temporarily frozen... and he hated himself for that. Regardless of being a vampire, he was a vampire hunter first and foremost and he should never fear a vampire. Pureblood or not.

"I own you now." That's what Kaname had told him, and damn himself for shuddering in distress at hearing it. No sooner had Kaname said that did he follow it up with his next statement. "From now on, you're Yuuki's knight. Her own personal vampire knight. You'll protect her when I can't, you'll be her shadow, you'll be my dog to command and you'll never, _ever_ betray her."

And damn Kaname if he wasn't right. Conflicted. Hate for Kaname, love for Yuuki. Either way, forced to sit and watch from the shadows as the two opposing feelings he had for two individual people melted together like Yin and Yang.

The door from above opened and closed. Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the room as Toga made his way down the steps. The scent of tobacco filled his nose and he scrunched his face up, able to smell and hear things more clearly than before.

"What the hell happened here?" Toga stated as he made it down the last step. He took a drag from his cigarette and blew it out of his nose. "Why are the torches out? And why is the cell open?" He walked into the cell and pushed at Zero's foot with his boot. "I see you ripped the chains out of the wall. Impressive. I don't know how the door was opened, but the fact that you didn't rush out of here means you're more in control of yourself."

"I'm in complete control of myself now."

Toga placed his hands on his hips as he stared down at him. "Care to explain exactly what happened?"

"Not really."

"Are you still suicidal?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell me anything at all?"

"Nope."

"You're a little shit. Come on then, let's get you out of here." Toga held his hand out to Zero to help him up, but Zero stood on his own and ignored the gesture. Instead, he held his hands out with his wrists facing upward. Toga removed the shackles and let the chains fall to the ground, watching as his student rubbed at his wrists. "You ready to fight with us?"

Zero gave Toga a wicked smile and nodded. "Let's kill us some vampires."

* * *

After Kaname had taken enough of Yuuki's blood, he removed his fangs from her neck and leaned back to stare at her face. Her complexion was pale, her breathing was shallow and her heart beat was faint and stuttered. She was on the cusp of death and he hated it—it made him nervous—but it was necessary for the process. Juri was a pureblood as well as a sorceress. The spell she had placed on Yuuki, using her own life and blood to fuel it, was extremely powerful. If it wasn't removed properly then Yuuki's mental state of mind would be at risk. She'd wake up to being no better than a _Level E_.

He had taken a lot of her blood as it needed to be replaced with his own. Once her blood entered his system, it was immediately altered and changed. Her arms and legs slowly fell away from him. She was still, looking close to death in her white nightgown with two thin trails of blood down her neck. He pushed his sleeve up and bit into his wrist and quickly moved it over her mouth. Blood smeared on her lips and he waited for her instincts to kick in and to bite him, but there was no response. She remained motionless and limp. Fear gripped his heart as he fought back the urge to panic.

"Yuuki, come on. Yuuki," he tried to prompt her. The holes in his wrist closed and he stared at the streak of blood on her lips. He gently nudged her. "You... you have to drink, Yuuki."

Kaname moved to her side and snaked his arm under and around her shoulders, lifting her up to rest against him. He bit into his wrist again and took a large mouthful of his own blood, holding it there and making sure not to swallow it. He leaned down and kissed her, moving her chin down with his fingers and nudging her lips open with his tongue. The blood pooled out of his mouth and went into hers, some of it falling and creating a red line down her cheek.

There was no response or movement and he started to let the panic worm its way through him. He had followed everything that was needed to waken her properly to the letter. Why she wasn't responding like she was supposed to was not something he had prepared for or anticipated. If she didn't swallow and drink his blood, it wouldn't mix with hers to finish the transition. She would die. Kaname's heart froze at the thought.

He shook her again. "Yuuki! Come on, wake up and swallow the blood!" He stared at her pale face as his control started slipping. The walls surrounding him started to splinter, the cracks snaking out and away from where he was. The glass in the windows started to fracture. Anger began to replace the dismay he was feeling as he narrowed his eyes at her. "No, damn it. You don't get to die, Yuuki. Not now, not later, not ever. Do you hear me? I'm not going to let you die!"

Without further thought, he bit down into his wrist and took a mouthful of his blood again. He leaned down and crushed his lips against hers, letting his blood seep into her mouth slowly as he started to massage her throat. The blood was finally coaxed down with his ministrations. With great concentration, he wrapped his power around her and cocooned her in his warmth, letting it be an anchor for her in the cold darkness he was sure she was in.

Yuuki's entire body jerked as if a bolt of electricity struck her. Soon after, her body reflexively swallowed the blood on its own without needing Kaname's assistance. He mentally sighed in relief, knowing that the hardest part had passed. Her staccato heart beat was still faint but it started to pick up to reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere. When all the blood he had in his mouth was swallowed, he broke their kiss and leaned back to look at her.

Her eyes were still closed, but her complexion changed from a ghostly white to a light hue of pink. Lips parted as she breathed heavily, the changes in her body started. He held her in his arms and peppered kisses all over her face, rocking her back and forth gently. She would need to drink more, but for now it was enough to break the seal completely.

There was a _click_ sound from the window. Kaname looked up to see Zero standing there, both feet on the sill and one hand raised up to hold himself steady. His other arm was extended in front of him, holding the Bloody Rose as he pointed it at him. Pure unadulterated hatred was engraved on the hunter's face as his body trembled. Silver eyes bored into his.

"Kuran! How could you?!"

Yuuki's eyes fluttered open just then. They were unfocused as she stared up at the ceiling. From the corner of her eye, she could see the collar of a black shirt and the creamy skin of what she knew was Kaname's chin. She felt the warmth of his arms holding her to his chest and could feel his heart beat against her. Her entire body felt weak and shaky. She raised her hand up slowly, catching Kaname's attention and making him look down at her, as she cupped his cheek.

"Ka...na...me?" She looked at him, truly looked at him, as the shroud over her memories fell away. It wasn't like before where snippets of unknown pictures leaked into her head, driving her crazy. It was as if she was taking her first breath after being under water for hours, her first meal after starving for years, her first ray of light after being buried alive. Everything just clicked. She remembered everything from her childhood as it all fit together perfectly. Her heart surged with emotions that were far too powerful for her to imagine possible. Love, longing, sadness, guilt, fear, happiness.

"I smelled Yuuki's blood."

Zero's words broke her from her thoughts and she tore her gaze away from the wine colored eyes she so desperately loved. When she saw the anti-vampire gun pointed at Kaname, she mustered all her strength and stood up on her knees, placing herself in front of Kaname. She held her hands out to the sides.

"It's not what you think!" she yelled.

"Yuuki, what are you doing?" Kaname tried to tug her down. He knew Zero wouldn't pull the trigger but that didn't mean he still wanted a weapon pointed at her.

"I... smelled her blood," Zero panted as he grit his teeth. "And the presence of _two_ vampires!"

"Stop! Calm down, Zero!"

"I should kill you both! How could you, Kuran?! How could you do that to her?!"

Kaname simply chuckled and shook his head. Yuuki, with a worried look, stared at Zero intently. "You don't understand, Zero! Kaname is... he's my..." Her head started to spin, not having the strength yet to maintain her composure. "My... brother," she mumbled as she swayed and fainted.

Kaname caught her and hugged her to him, happy that her memories were returned safely and she was normal.

"B-brother?" Zero's resolution faltered slightly and he lowered his gun a fraction, shocked at the news.

"If I was born her real brother, I would have been happier." Kaname looked at Zero's stunned expression and shook his head. "You look like you don't believe it."

"I... how... no... It can't be true."

"You're a hunter and a vampire, aren't you? Can't you feel the difference in auras? Isn't it obvious that she's a pureblood and not a regular vampire? You should already know that there is no 'creating' or 'turning' someone into a pureblood. You're born as one from pureblood parents."

Zero's hand around Bloody Rose shook as he lowered the weapon. His mind was racing at the news and implications. "She's a Kuran... and you're... she says you're her brother but you deny that. Why? Which is true?"

"She is indeed the daughter of Haruka and Juri Kuran. I am also a Kuran. Though our family tree really is of no importance to you, Kiryu." His grip on Yuuki tightened as he glared at Zero. "In fact, this shouldn't change anything at all. You're still her knight, sworn to protect her and I still own you. Now, in case you've forgotten, Rido Kuran—our uncle—is still out there and is intent on taking Yuuki as his own. Shouldn't you be out and about, patrolling?"

The breeze flapped at Zero's shirt and tie as he stood in the window, looking at Yuuki and Kaname together in bed. So many things started to make sense. The fact that Yuuki was attacked ten years ago and Kaname happened to miraculously be there to save her. Even the fact that the pureblood remained by her side all those years, or the odd interest he had for her. Zero still hated the turn of events even if it did make sense.

"I hate you, Kuran."

Kaname nudged Yuuki up a bit and cocked his head to the side, resting his cheek on her head. "Oh? Which one are you referring to?" he said with a grin.

"Fuck you!" Zero shouted. He let go of the window frame and pushed back, falling backward and landing on his feet on the roof top.

Kaname heard Zero grumble out an 'asshole' and listened until the retreating footsteps could no longer be heard; the hunter's presence no longer felt nearby. He smiled to himself as he laid Yuuki down on the bed, brushing her hair away from her face. The air around her hummed and he knew that the transition was being completed. Now he would have to wait until she woke up again, as she would be consumed by hunger for the first time in ten years. He would be there for her, no matter what.

* * *

"Uhhh..."

"You feel that as well?" Akatsuki asked.

"I don't just feel it, I smell it too. That's Yuuki's blood but... but... why am... wait." Hanabusa scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, exactly."

"You mean..."

"It seems that way."

"So, that means..."

"Yup."

"Wow..."

"You could say that." Akatsuki looked up at the night sky and sighed. "This explains a lot though, doesn't it?"

"Yeah..." Hanabusa agreed, not really paying attention. He was too busy being in shock. "I _knew _she wasn't normal! I knew it! Didn't I say it? Didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah. If you're so good at feeling things th—"

"Now hold on, wait. Don't word it that way, it sounds wrong."

"Hanabusa..." Akatsuki warned. He turned away from his cousin and looked into the woods, putting his hands in his pockets. "You feel that presence as well?" Little orbs of flames ignited in the air around Akatsuki and hovered around his head, waiting for a command.

Hanabusa became serious, putting his back against Akatsuki's. He tensed and nodded his head, even though it couldn't be seen. "Yeah, I feel it. Well, it was bound to happen. I say it's about time we got this over and done with."

From the darkness of the woods, shadows started to move. Sounds of growling and snarling broke out as dozens of figures came into view. The crazed look only _Level E_'s could manufacture was present on every one of their faces. They were all of varying ages and stature. Some old, some young; a mix of men and women. The group stopped when there was a couple of feet to separate them from the two Night students.

Hanabusa and Akatsuki were completely surrounded.

* * *

Rido stopped in his tracks and lifted his head to the sky, closing his eyes and sniffing at the air. He let out a deep breath and grinned. He hopped up and down with excitement and clapped his hands together. Several of his followers stopped in their tracks and looked at him with questioning gazes. Others started to get agitated by some unknown change in the air.

"Do you all feel that?" Rido looked around. "She's awake," he breathed out in pleasure, closing his eyes again as he shuddered in delight. "Don't worry, Yuuki. I'm coming for you soon."

"Can't we go now and do it?" one of his followers asked.

"No! We have to wait one more day."

"Today, tomorrow. What difference does it make?"

He turned his gaze to the man who spoke and gave him a deadly stare. The man gulped and took a step back, lowering his gaze. "It matters because I fucking say it matters, bitch."

"Yes, Lord Kuran. My apologies."

Rido laughed and clapped his hands together again. Tomorrow was the anniversary of Haruka and Juri's death. It would be eleven years since he killed his brother and his sister committed suicide. Eleven years that he had to wait before he could destroy Kaname once and for all. Eleven long years that he couldn't have Yuuki by his side.

Call him nostalgic, but he saw it a fitting present for his siblings to take the one thing they sacrificed themselves for. He grinned again as he thought of what they would think if they knew all their efforts were in vain.

"Hey bitch," Rido called out to the man that had spoken to him before. The man bowed to him and kept his head down. "I'm hungry. Go find me a meal."

* * *

Yuuki was dreaming, but her dreams were of her own memories. She was separated from them and watched them as if an outsider. Before her stood a tall man who was incredibly handsome and a beautiful woman with long hair. They were sitting on a high back chair, the woman sitting on the man's lap with her arms around his neck. She was whispering things to him and giggling. He was smiling lovingly at her with his arms wrapped around her waist.

A little girl with long hair and a striking resemblance to the woman was sitting on a large couch by herself, swinging her legs back and forth. A children's book was opened in her lap that she held on to by the top corners. She was humming to herself as she read the story and looked at the pictures. Her red dress was trimmed with white ribbons and had a fluffy skirt with lots of white lace underneath. White stockings complimented her and completed the outfit.

The picture of the three together in this way seemed so perfect. She could feel the love in the room and a part of her felt the yearning and longing to be back there, in that time.

"Mama, Papa? When is my brother coming back home? I miss him." The girl pouted. Her parents looked up from their conversation to look at their daughter. She could see the love in their gazes.

"Soon, Yuuki. Don't worry." Her mother got up and sat next to her.

"I can't wait until I'm older like you, Mama."

"Why is that, sweetie?" Juri tucked a few strands of hair behind Yuuki's ear. Haruka picked up his glass of wine and took a sip.

"So that way Brother and I can get married and I can make him happy just like you make Papa happy. I wonder if Brother will make the same happy sounds as Papa does sometimes."

Haruka spit out his drink, leaning forward and coughing as his face reddened. Juri ran up to him and patted his back. Yuuki stared at them for only a moment before she could feel Kaname had come home. She threw the book on the couch and jumped off, running toward the double doors of the windowless room. Before she reached it, it opened and Kaname walked in.

"Brother!" she squealed as she ran up to him and jumped. He caught her in his arms and hugged her, smiling and happy to see her. "I missed you!" She nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck.

"My, Yuuki. What a greeting. Thank you. I missed you too." He put her down and patted her head. "I have something fo—Father, why is your face red?"

"B-because!" he spit out before he could clear his throat properly. Haruka took several breaths to calm himself and steady his fast beating heart.

"Uh... okay." Kaname turned back to Yuuki. "Yuuki, when you're older, I want to—"

"Whoa, wait just a minute!" Juri shouted, running up to him and covering Kaname's mouth with her hand. Kaname looked down at Juri's hand to Haruka's face and then back to Juri. He raised a brow and waited until Juri finally removed her hand from his mouth.

"You two are acting strangely today," he observed.

The memory wavered and rippled like a pebble being thrown into water. It drifted away until she was standing at the foot of a large bed. She watched as the same two children faced each other, snuggled warmly under the plush covers. Their foreheads were together, their faces wonderfully close. The boy was playing with a strand of the girl's long hair and the girl had a tiny fistful of the boy's pajama shirt in her hand.

"Brother?"

"Yes, Yuuki?"

"When we get older, can we be like Mama and Papa and get married?"

Kaname's hand stilled and he smiled, looking into Yuuki's eyes. "Is that what my beautiful sister wants?"

Yuuki giggled. "Of course, silly!"

"Then yes. Anything you want."

"Anything?"

"Yes. Is there something else you want?"

"Mmmm..." She thought for a while before giving him a wide grin. She leaned in and whispered into his ear. Kaname blushed a deep red.

"Y-Yuuki! Where did you hear such a thing?!"

She giggled again. "I over heard Mama say it to Papa the other day and he seemed very happy and excited about it. She was whispering but I still heard her. What about you? Will you be happy and excited?"

"Uh, well... don't worry about that for now! We still have a while before we're both grown up."

"Aww, okay! I love you." She wrapped her tiny little hands around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I love you too, Yuuki." He kissed her forehead. They both closed their eyes and settled down to sleep.

The memory faded and rippled away again, changing into something different. This continued repeatedly until she woke up a few hours later. Everything from those missing years had come back to her and she was truly happy and sad at the same time.

She opened her eyes slowly and the first thing she saw was Kaname's beautiful face right next to hers. His eyes were closed and he had an arm draped over her waist. They were facing each other, much like what they often did when they were children. She raised her hand up and cupped his face, caressing his cheek softly.

"Mmm..." Kaname mumbled before his eyes opened as well. He stared into hers and looked a little surprised. "I'm... sorry, Yuuki. I fell asleep."

"Shh, it's okay." She leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

His expression softened and she smiled at him. She knew before that she loved him and that he loved her, but now it seemed so different. It was like a whole new level for her that felt overwhelming. She felt as if she was being overfilled with love for him and was going to explode. Every expression he made, she noticed it more clearly and knew the meanings behind them so much better.

Yuuki cleared her throat as she felt the burning sensation suddenly. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and Kaname chuckled at her. He spread his fingers through her hair and held the back of her head, nudging her closer to him. It was then that she noticed her hair and grown much longer, just like it was when she was younger. Just like her mother's. In fact, her whole body felt different. She felt lighter, yet stronger, firmer, more powerful.

"You need to drink, Yuuki." He moved her closer to his neck.

She felt the hunger kick her in the gut and she pushed Kaname's shoulder until he lay flat on his back. With a swift motion, she was sitting on top of him and slowly lowering herself. Her hair cascaded down to the sides and created a curtain around them. She moved his hair off his neck and licked the length of it, trembling with anticipation. Beneath her, Kaname shuddered in pleasure.

"That's right, Yuuki," he encouraged her. Without further prompting, she licked a spot once more before she curled her lips back and bit into his neck. Her petite fangs pierced his flesh and he groaned at the feeling of it, instantly hardening. She drank greedily from him but still went about it gently, making sure not to bruise or hurt him. "Ahh, Yuuki..." Kaname hugged her to him and played with her hair.

Without realizing it, she started rubbing herself against him. Her nightgown slowly rode up with her movements. When she had her full, she pulled her fangs out and sat up, leaning back and arching her back as she gasped for air. Her body positively hummed with energy. She looked down at Kaname, his eyes more red than brown and saw her own reflection in his wonder filled gaze. Her own eyes were red, much like his. Her mouth was parted as she panted and she could see the tips of her fangs. Her hair was long and wild.

She moved his unbuttoned shirt to the sides, exposing all of his chest to her. Her palms flattened against him and moved up and down, feeling the softness of his smooth skin and the muscles underneath. Yuuki rotated her hips against him, feeling him underneath her and watching as Kaname closed his eyes in pleasure. Before she could do anything else, his hands shot out and grabbed her hips to still her.

"Yuuki, wait." He opened his eyes and looked up at her questioning look. "There's... something I want you to know. I'm sorry for bringing you back into the darkness with me. You deserved to live in the light."

"Kaname, shh. Light or dark, I don't care as long as I'm by your side. You're my brother."

"Uh, well that's the other thing I wanted to tell you. I'm not... actually you're brother."

Yuuki jerked and stood up on her knees, causing only a small part of her calves to touch his body. She frowned as she examined his face. He looked worried and resolute, like he had to get this information off his chest even if it caused him unhappiness.

"That's not possible. I remember everything. You're you, you're my older brother from my memories."

"Well, yes. But not entirely."

"I don't understand."

"A part of you has the power to look into people's memories when you drink their blood. I didn't allow it before, but I'm going to now. I want you to drink from me again so you can see for yourself. Will you do that for me?"

She looked at him and nodded, lowering herself over him again and nuzzling his neck. She bit into him once more and took a swallow. Almost instantly, her mind started to swirl as images that weren't her own flashed before her eyes.

* * *

Sleep. That's what he had decided to do when there was nothing left for him to do and that's exactly what he was doing. There was nothing else that he had wished for, so why was he being awakened now? Why was blood being poured into his coffin and into him?

He opened his eyes and saw a man with two different colored eyes standing above him, leaning into his coffin with a baby dangling from his hand. The man held the baby upside down by it's feet. The poor infant's throat was slit as the blood rushed out of his tiny body and fell onto him. His own body, which had been asleep and without blood for ages, absorbed the blood immediately. It wasn't enough to sustain him though. His skin was shriveled and dry—mostly all bones, his hair was long and reached his waist and his clothes were old.

The man above him started laughing maniacally. "My ancestor! Kaname, meet Kaname Kuran, the baby, who just so happened to be named after you. I thought at first I would drink his blood but then I thought... why not sacrifice him to awaken you and then drink _your_ blood instead? I'll get so much more power that way!" He started laughing again as he threw the carcass into the coffin. It was absorbed by his body as well.

As the man laughed to himself, Kaname shot his hand out and grabbed him by the throat, choking him. He slowly stood from his coffin and stepped out, slamming the man to the ground. His grip on the man's throat tightened and with their contact, he was able to absorb and suck the man's blood through his hand.

"Yes, I imagine you're still very hungry. Thousands of years being dormant will do that to you. I can't even imagine the horrible hunger that must be consuming you right now! But you can't kill me, can you? I'm your master, I woke you up!"

"Brother? Kaname? Where are you?" a voice called out from afar.

Kaname stood up and looked around the mausoleum. The hunger was truly starting to slam into him and overpower his senses.

"There's more of your kin here you could drain dry. Go ahead, you know the Kurans posses the thickest and purest blood of all purebloods. Doesn't it sound exciting to consume their blood?"

This wasn't what Kaname wanted. He wanted to help people and he had gone to sleep thousands of years ago when he felt his purpose in life had ceased. He couldn't kill his own kin, but if he didn't do something soon, it wouldn't be up to him. His eyes fell on the white blanket that the child had been wrapped in. Without further thought, he used his powers and regressed his body to that of a baby and ultimately stopped himself from the inevitable slaughter.

"Rido? Where are you and my son?"

Haruka walked in right afterward and saw Rido on the ground, passed out for some unknown reason and covered in blood. He looked around and saw the coffin of their ancestor open but didn't notice a body in it. Just then, he saw the baby on the ground, laying on the center of the bloodied blanket. Haruka grabbed his shirt over his heart as he realized too late what Rido had done and that his and Juri's son was already gone.

"Kaname... I realize that you're not my son, but regardless, we will raise you and love you as such." He picked the baby up and cooed at him, leaving the mausoleum and Rido behind.

* * *

Yuuki gasped and opened her eyes. Her heart was pounding frantically as she looked around and noticed her surroundings, realizing that she was still in bed with Kaname. He was holding her to him as she laid on top of him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked down at his saddened expression. They trailed down her face and fell down her chin, landing on Kaname's cheek. He wiped the streak away from her eyes with his thumb.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Yuuki. But I wanted you to know the truth. I don't want any secrets between us anymore and I don't want Rido to try and use that against us," Kaname whispered to her and hugged her tighter.

"Thank you for showing me, Kaname. I'm sorry too, that you had to go through that."

"When you were born two years later and I first saw you... I knew then what my purpose in life was. To protect you and make you happy, no matter what."

He was a little nervous considering he revealed that he wasn't her brother. He wasn't sure how she would proceed, though he held on to the little hope dangling in front of him considering she hadn't jumped away from him and run off screaming. His heart was beating equally as fast as hers.

"Kaname, I still love you. I don't care if you're my real brother or not, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is what's in here." She placed her hand over his chest above his heart. "And what's in here is what I love. I'm not running away, so don't be scared."

He smiled at her and kissed her. "We need to keep this a secret, though. I hope you can understand the importance of it. To the world, they have to know us as brother and sister. It's the only way I can protect us both properly."

"I understand." She smiled at him, getting an evil glint in her eyes. He raised a brow at her.

"What's that look for?"

"Do you remember when we were younger and I asked you to m-marry me?" She blushed furiously at the thought.

Kaname grinned wickedly at her. "Why, yes. I do."

"Do you remember what I whispered to you after that?" She gave him her own grin and giggled as she watched his smile get wiped away. He stared at her seriously and hesitantly.

"Y-yes..."

Yuuki broke out of his hold and slowly lowered herself over his body, trailing kisses down his exposed skin. She started at his chin and neck, down his collarbone and over his chest until she reached his stomach. Her hands rubbed up and down his chest a few times before reaching his belt and undoing the buckle. She looked up at him and admired his intent gaze and parted lips.

"Well, I think we're both grown up now, don't you think? Now it's time to make you... _happy_."

She grinned as she undid his pants and tugged them down. She wrapped her hand around his member and stroked it, feeling it get hard again. With the tip of her tongue, she licked the head slowly and sensually. Kaname gulped and watched the entire time, panting.

* * *

**A/N: "****Zydrate comes in a little glass vial.**

**A little glass vial? I little glass vial.**

**And the little glass vial goes into the gun like a battery.  
And the Zydrate gun goes somewhere against your anatomy.  
And when the gun goes off, it sparks and you're ready for surgery. Surgery."**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	20. The Vampire King

**A/N: No one noticed my 'Repo! The Genetic Opera' quote in my A/N from chapter 19?! Sad panda!  
I've been currently educated on the proper spelling of Yuuki and Aidou's names (technically Aidö). Thank you, Momo-chan! :D I was spelling it 'Yuki' and 'Aido' before so I've gone back and corrected the spelling in previous chapters.**

**Anyway, lemon for the first part of this chapter (added because of several requests I received [you perverts], wasn't originally planning on it). Again, if that ain't yo' cup o' tea, skip to the first page break for the story.**

**I am rating this M/MA for violence, language and sexual themes.**

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri Hino.**

* * *

She started with tentative licks around the tip and shaft as she held on to the base. Even with the number of things they had done together, this was the first time she attempted anything like this. She wasn't exactly sure what to do but she figured she would go with the flow and see what happened. Her gaze ran up the length of Kaname's body until she met his stare. He was watching her with slightly widened eyes and parted lips. The tips of his fangs peeked out from his upper lip.

The fact that he was watching with the faintest of blushes turned her on immensely and made her feel bold. She had never seen Kaname blush as an adult, and even as a child it wasn't something he did often. Desire filled his eyes and with her newly awakened senses, she could smell it in the air. She circled her lips around the tip of his member and rubbed her tongue across it. Kaname groaned and closed his lids half way.

"Y-Yuuki... you don't have to do this."

"Mmm..." she simply hummed in response while smiling slightly, her mouth still wrapped around him. The vibrations ran up his body and he closed his eyes entirely as he let his head fall back onto the pillow. Yuuki took more of him in, trying to get as much of him into her mouth as possible. She started to move up and down, finding it not as difficult as she imagined it. Easily, she found a steady rhythm and balance, careful not to scratch him with her newly developed fangs. She alternated between running her lips against his length to sucking hard; as well as rubbing her tongue up and down and around his member.

With one hand squeezing his thigh as the other pumped him in unison to her bobbing, she reveled in the feeling of having this type of control over him. His breathing had gotten heavier and his hands had moved down to hold the back of her head, lacing his fingers through her hair. Being still was no longer an option for him as he started to move his hips slightly, thrusting up into her mouth as she came down and pulling back as she moved up. The wet warmth of her mouth and the erratic movements of her tongue were driving him crazy.

When he felt himself getting closer, he grit his teeth as he moaned. "Wait, Yuuki. I'm... I'm getting close and I don't think you want me to come in your mouth..."

She went up and down a couple more times before releasing him with a _pop_. She licked her lips and started kissing his thighs and stomach. Lowering herself a little more until she was perfectly eye level with his member, she looked up at him and grinned. His eyes were still closed with his head tilted back as he panted.

"Hey Kaname?"

"Eh?" he managed to groan out as he sighed and lifted his head up to look at her. She giggled at him before kissing the soft flesh in between his thigh and the base of his member, near where his sac was.

"I want to repay you with some of the pleasure you gave me my first time."

He cocked a brow at her as he frowned in confusion. "Wha—!" He couldn't finish his question, let alone tell you what color the sun was, as pleasure exploded throughout his body when she bit down and drank from the area she had been kissing. The proximity to Mr. Rubber Ducky as well as the act was too much and he almost lost himself, getting extremely close to his release.

Once she was done, she removed her fangs and licked the puncture marks. She smacked her lips together and smiled up at him, giggling at his lost expression as he stared up at the ceiling with unfocused eyes. After a minute, he lowered his gaze to hers with an evil glint in his stare, lips thinned into a line and furrowed brows.

"You think it's funny to tease me, hmm?"

The look he gave her made her feel like he was an animal ready to eat its meal. When he sat up and went to his knees, she started to scoot back. She turned around and was getting ready to scurry away on all fours when he grabbed her ankle and stopped her, making her squeal.

"Oh, no. You're not getting out of this so easily." His voice was deep as he lowered himself over her back and spoke in her ear. She shuddered at the sound of him. He kissed her shoulder and nuzzled her neck, making some of her hair fall forward as he lifted her nightgown up. "I think I like this position," he purred.

"Like t-this?!"

She craned her head back to look at him right when he moved her panties to the side and slammed himself into her with one quick motion. She cried out in pleasure as she threw her head back and fisted the sheets. Kaname grabbed her hips to hold her steady as he thrust into her quickly with long, hard strokes. The positioning made him enter her in such a deep way, hitting absolutely everything, that it was more than she could bare. She lowered her head to the bed and bit the bedsheets as she moaned constantly.

"No, no, Yuuki. Stay up." He placed one hand under her arm, spreading his fingers over her chest in between her breasts to prompt her up.

"I... I can't! Kaname...! It's, too much!"

"Yuuki," Kaname warned. "If you get to tease me then I don't see why I can't torture you."

He grabbed a handful of her hair and tugged her head back gently, causing her to stand on all fours again. He kept his hand in her hair as he lowered himself over her, placing his mouth by her ear. Slowly moving his other hand from her hip to her front, he delved into her panties and rubbed her little nub. She shut her eyes tight as she moaned and clenched around him.

"Yuuki... do you have any idea how good you feel?"

"Ka-Kaname!"

"You're mine, Yuuki." He licked the length of her neck as he tugged her head back by her hair again.

"Yes, yes! I'm yours!"

He bit into her neck as he continued to thrust into her, both of them climbing higher and higher into ecstasy until finding their release at the same time.

* * *

Hanabusa froze another vampire in place as he bent down quickly, moving out of the way to allow Akatsuki to jump over his back and throw an orb of flame. It hit the vampire, causing her to burst and shatter into hundreds of pieces of ice and fire. Another vampire ran up and tackled Akatsuki, pinning him to the ground and trying to get past his arms to bite at his neck. Hanabusa grabbed the back collar of the _Level E_'s shirt and yanked him up and off of his cousin. He created an ice spear and twirled it in his hands a few times before swinging it down and shoving it straight through the vampire's chest, piercing his heart. The vampire turned to dust, leaving only clothes to remain behind.

"Thanks," Akatsuki said as Hanabusa helped him up. "We could really use Lord Kuran's help. I wonder what he's up to."

"He probably—" Hanabusa was shoved away at the last second, nearly being cleaved in two by a giant ax that another lesser vampire was swinging. It nicked Akatsuki's arm and he swore under his breath at the pain as he swung a fist at the vampire. He hit the man's jaw, causing him to fall back a few steps and drop his weapon. Hanabusa froze the vampire in place as Akatsuki picked up the ax and engulfed it in flames, swinging it in a wide arch and decapitating the vampire. The body erupted in a plume of dust.

Akatsuki held his good arm up to Hanabusa and lifted him up. "Now we're even."

The blood from Akatsuki's wound riled the remaining vampires that circled around the two nobles. They started to snarl and become agitated, twitching from the smell. Hanabusa and Akatsuki were getting tired from the fight, having already fought and killed at least a dozen lesser vampires. They were sweaty, their clothes were dirty and they were still outnumbered.

Two vampires decided to attack from opposite sides as two others came from separate directions. The cousins put their backs together again as they braced themselves, trying to figure out which one to attack first and which one to block. It wasn't looking well as they started to feel they couldn't get all of them down at the same time. Hanabusa went to freeze one, but the other vampire ran out from behind him as the same happened to Akatsuki.

Just then, there was a loud bang as the sound of a gun firing echoed throughout the trees. The vibrant pink glow of the anti-vampire weapon they were so used to shined through one of the lesser vampires before she exploded into dust. Another vampire screamed out in pain and looked down, seeing several inches of a sword sticking out of his chest. He too turned into dust, showing the noble standing behind him.

From one side came Zero; from the other Takuma and Senri emerged. Zero shot three other vampires in quick succession, killing them instantly. Senri used his blood whip to wrap around the neck of another vampire before tightening it enough to sever the head. Two _Level E_'s tackled Hanabusa and Akatsuki to the ground but before they could do anything, Takuma raised his hand at them. He let his power surge and their bodies began to bubble. They sat up and arched their backs as they screamed in pain, the molecules in their bodies disintegrating shortly afterward.

The few remaining _Level E_'s looked around nervously for only a moment before scattering back and running into the woods quickly. Senri and Takuma helped Akatsuki and Hanabusa up as Zero scanned the area. When he was sure no other vampires were around, he turned around and aimed Bloody Rose at the nobles.

"Hey, hey, hey! We're on the same side here!" Hanabusa shouted.

"Tch, as if I'd be on the same side as a _vampire_," he spat out.

"Uh, news flash, you dumb ass. _You're_ a vampire too," the blue eyed noble retorted.

Zero hesitated for a moment, anger and confusion rushing through his head. He was still in shock over Yuuki's transformation and all he wanted was some sort of outlet to vent his frustrations. He looked at the faces of the four Night Class students. Each one stared at him differently. Takuma seemed concerned for him which was a little offsetting, Senri looked at him entirely impassive and bored, Akatsuki stared at him with a tired expression and Hanabusa just looked angry.

"Yuuki is a pureblood," he said for no particular reason. He felt that he had to say it out loud to someone. As if to validate the truth behind the statement.

"We know," Takuma answered.

"How _long_ have you known?"

"Until she was awakened. It was news to all of us, Kiryu."

Zero holstered his gun and stared at them, not entirely sure what to do. There was still pent up anger that he needed to get rid of so he decided the best course of action was to continue patrolling and try to find as many of the _Level E_'s as possible. If he couldn't kill the nobles, then he could at least kill the lessers. A part of him wondered if that's what he would have turned into if Kaname hadn't given him his blood.

"I'm out of here. Keep your damn eyes open for the other vampires." He turned away from them and left.

* * *

Rido had other things in mind as he and some of his followers snuck in between the patrolmen to the Sun Dormitory. It had been just like a game for him. Running and hiding from tree to tree, remaining silent and holding his breath with a child-like grin plastered on his face as one of the students walked by. Perhaps it was considered cheating but he had hidden his aura as a pureblood, wrapping it inward on purpose. If they could sense him, wouldn't that have been too easy?

Sure enough they went undetected, or if one of the _Level E_'s were seen, they would run off in a different direction to lead the nobles away. He didn't care how many of them died. They were all replaceable. In fact, in just a couple of hours the sun would bleed into the sky and taint his beloved darkness with its rays. Come morning, all his followers and lessers that he had helped create would flood the academy grounds. It would be a bloody ball indeed and he couldn't wait.

In the meantime, he would leave his stubborn nephew his gift for the day. Looking from side to side to make sure no one was around, he sprinted to a side door, slamming his fist into the light fixture to allow him to remain in darkness. Being locked, the door rattled in its place when he went to turn the knob. Not that it mattered really. He simply placed his hand on the frame by the padlock and pushed. The wood splintered by the bolt and the door slowly swung forward.

The hallway was dimly lit. He took a deep breath, taking in the scents and sounds as he made his way up the stairs and down various hallways. That damn Kaien Cross was a smart one and a party pooper, sending the majority of the students away. Luckily for him, they weren't all gone so he could still have a little feast. The one girl that was brought to him earlier wasn't enough to sate him.

He'd have a little fun until tomorrow evening came and it was his turn to take the stage. He'd leave the daylight hours to be handled by his servants. With quiet steps, he tip-toed to the first room and listened in. The soft sound of breathing could be heard along with the steady beat of a heart. Rido grinned as he opened the door to a room shrouded in darkness. There lay a Day Class student asleep in her bed, her back facing him.

Ever so quietly, he walked up to her and mounted her, slamming his hand over her mouth as she jerked awake and tried to scream. She started to kick and thrash around, clawing at him. Rido smiled at her and licked his lips as he grabbed both her fists with his free hand and held them to his chest. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, eyes shining brightly with excitement.

"I'm just so very hungry, you see..."

* * *

It was once again morning. The sun was shining brightly, birds were chirping wonderfully and there was a chilly breeze in the air. The rest of the evening went without further incident as the remaining Night Class students patrolled along with Zero, Toga and the Chairman. Kaname and Yuuki had remained alone together in his bedroom, spending a great deal of their time working on controlling Yuuki's newly awakened powers.

More of the students had left early that morning, leaving roughly twenty to thirty behind that would still need protection. Everything seemed to be fine and dandy. Except it wasn't, and Kaien knew that as he looked down one long and empty hallway. It had been blocked off from all the other students before anyone had awoken for the day. His hand tightened around his scabbard, the sharp sword tucked safely away in the smooth wood. Without thinking of it, his finger played with the cords wrapped around the hilt.

Before him stood a scene he wished he had never seen. The walls were splattered with blood and the carpets were soaked in it. Each door leading into a room was opened or broken down. Finger paintings covered any part that wasn't sullied. Pictures of squiggly lines, circles, small animals and phallic symbols in no particular order. But that wasn't what got to him. It was the one digit—that if duplicated and placed next to each other created another—that was burned into his mind.

Eleven. That was the number of bodies that he counted. Eleven bodies that were no longer breathing, cold to the touch and left with no dignity. Eleven dreams that could no longer be reached, aspirations no longer obtainable. Each one was killed in a different way and positioned as if they were on display.

Kaien felt bile at the back of this throat. He'd been alive a long time but never had he seen such an unneeded loss of life. His students, his responsibility, his failure in protecting them properly. All their deaths were on him and there was nothing that he could do to make it better. Avenge their deaths? Sure, but it wouldn't bring them back. Their families would still have the loss. And it was all his fault.

"You're blaming yourself, aren't you, old man?"

He simply sighed heavily. His eyes remained straight ahead, taking in everything and ensuring that he would never forget a single detail. "Isn't it though?"

"Of course it is," Toga replied harshly.

Kaien turned his head to Toga and raised a brow. Light shined off of his glasses, turning them white and preventing Toga from seeing his eyes. "Aren't friends normally supposed to be comforting or something?"

"Well, yeah. Except you really did bring this on yourself. Having vampires and humans together? Vampires can't be trusted. Come on, you were just asking for it and this here," he pointed to the massacre, "is just more proof. Or are you still holding on to the idea of co-existence?"

"I do. You have a lot to learn, Toga. I've been around for a while now and you'll find that humans are adaptable and accepting of change. It just takes them some time."

"Yeah, whatever. This area is quarantined for now. No student will have access to enter here until this is all cleaned up." Toga looked at some of the bodies sprawled out. "Jeez, did he really have to tear them apart like that?" He made a disgusted sound and turned, walking away. "By the way, y—"

Several screams erupted from the distance and broke the silence of the morning. Kaien and Toga tensed and looked at the general direction of the sounds before breaking into a run. They quickly made it out of the building, bursting through the double doors into the bright morning light. Another scream, followed by a snarl, sounded off in the distance.

They ran toward it until they could see two Day Class students and a man in torn clothes. One of the students was on the ground with her neck angled at an odd direction, blood pooling around her head and upper body. The second student was backing away from the man, shaking with terror as she continued to scream.

Toga reached behind his back and unclasped his anti-vampire weapon. In the short time it took for him to lower his shotgun over his shoulder and aim it at the vampire, Kaien had already unsheathed his sword and sliced through the _Lesser E_ in one swift motion. As Toga stared down the barrel, all he saw was dust and Kaien's poised body, sword still standing erect; clothing flapping around his still body at the speed of his movements. It was so quick that he didn't have a chance to even register that the Chairman moved from his side.

"Well, I'll be..." he mumbled under his breath.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Kaien was chanting over and over again as he tried to calm the student. She was crying hysterically, quickly latching onto the Chairman and staring at the pile of dust and her dead friend.

"We've got company," Toga stated, raising his shotgun up. He turned around in a full circle, noticing _Level E_'s coming from various directions and converging on them.

"Run back to the Dormitory. Now! Get the students all together and lock them down!" Kaien started running, pulling the Day student by her hand. Gun shots started to ring through the air, echoing off the trees. Kaien and Toga stopped, seeing a handful of hunters from the Hunter Association come up behind the lessers.

"Looks like you two could use some help," a voice called out.

"Kaito! What are you guys doing here?"

"Killing vampires. Duh!" The brown eyed hunter with ash colored hair turned and shot at two _Level E_'s as he spun around and stabbed another with a dagger.

"Does the Association know about this?" Kaien asked, making sure nothing came near him with the student hugging his back.

"Naah. Orders were not to help, but we're here on unofficial business so it's okay." He grinned and wiggled his brows, ecstatic about being able to kill vampires.

They started running to the main dormitory again, keeping the Day student in the middle of the little circle they created around her. Any vampire that came near was shot or sliced down quickly and efficiently, not wasting time or energy on doing anything elaborate.

When they made it, two hunters stood guard outside the doors as the rest ran through the building and gathered all the remaining students. They were all ushered into an auditorium as Kaien did constant head counts to ensure they were all there and accounted for. The air was filled with confusion and panic as the students watched their Chairman running around with a sword in his hand. Constant questions were being asked as to what was going on. Kaien whistled loudly to get everyone's attention.

"Listen up, students. There is a matter that needs to be taken care of and right now it's very dangerous for you to be outside. Please, remain calm. Everything will be okay. Myself or someone else will come to get you when everything is okay and safe."

Murmurs broke out but the students calmed slightly, having complete faith in the Chairman. Some were more nervous than others but they were quickly comforted by other students. Kaien and the hunters exited the room, locking it behind them.

"I hate to ask th—"

"It's fine," Toga cut him off. "We'll protect them. You do what you need to do."

Kaien stared at him and nodded before patting his former student on the arm. "Thank you."

He threw off his green shawl and took off his cream colored sweater with a flourish while flicking his slippers off his feet. Exposed underneath were black pants with black knee high combat books that were laced up and latched with two buckles. Over that was a long, black coat that reached just below his knees, fitted at his chest and arms and flowed out around him from his waist down. Straps crisscrossed around his chest.

Toga stared at him suspiciously. "Were you wearing that underneath your regular clothes the entire time?"

"Uh... hehe?" He took his glasses off and placed them on a table while removing the band from his hair, letting it fall over his shoulders. "I don't plan on letting any vampires get this far, but in case I die and they break through, make sure you give them one hell of a time."

* * *

The day had progressed with constant fighting and it was well into the night. Kaien was fighting alone as the few remaining hunters fought in their own groups. The nobles from the Night class were either teamed up in pairs or fighting separately. Once word came that at least a hundred _Level E_'s and followers that Rido had somehow gathered together were entering the school grounds, Kaname had left to help with the fight. Before he left, he had begged and made Yuuki promise that she would stay put in his bedroom the entire time. Zero remained close by to protect her while killing anything that came near.

The problem now was the number of followers versus their small group. For every one vampire they killed it seemed like another ten replaced it. Come nightfall they were getting tired and saw no end in sight. Kaname had all the energy he needed, but it was difficult to kill a large number of lessers at once when they were scattered. It was clear that Rido had prepared them on how to fight a pureblood and how to extract weaknesses. If Kaname couldn't feel their aura or lock on to it, or in the very least physically see them, then he couldn't lash out and attack. It was like trying to catch a fish with his bare hands, they kept slipping in and out.

The ones he was able to attack were instantly killed. He had his anti-vampire sword with him that constantly crackled with energy at being touched by a vampire. There wasn't much need for it as he was able to kill the other vampires with just thought, bursting them with his energy and forcing their blood to crystallize, causing them to explode into hundreds of red shards.

He made it to Kaien quickly, noticing that a large group of vampires were piling on top of him. Kaname manipulated the shadows in the area to create shadow wolves and unleashed the pack onto the lessers. They growled and snarled as they bit into the _Level E_'s, aiming for their throats and chest to kill them. It was enough of a distraction for Kaname to grab Kaien and lift him up. He was a little worse for wear but nodded his thanks, the cuts on his face quickly healing.

"Having more vampire blood than human blood in me kinda helps in these cases," Kaien tried to joke.

"I can't imagine you hunters have it easy, not knowing which side of the line you stand on. Human or vampire." Kaname turned from the Chairman's contemplative look, his eyes scanning the area as he started to feel something was off.

"Kaname? Are you okay?" Kaien sliced through several vampires at once, turning them into dust.

"Something feels... wrong." He tried to shrug the feeling off, deciding that nothing was right this night with the small war they were currently fighting.

* * *

Yuuki was pacing the length of the bedroom. She had dressed in jeans and a shirt and had remembered to strap Artemis to her thigh. Worry over everyone's safety was making her feel like she was drowning. Outside and fighting with the rest of them was what she was supposed to be doing, not hiding in a room while everyone was putting their lives at risk. The sounds of the battle could be heard and it was driving her crazy.

She had promised Kaname that she would stay put, but as the last gun shot sounded off, followed by a grunt and loud smack, she had made up her mind. She was going to help. Running to the windows, she opened them and looked down at the roof where Zero was. He was well across the other side of the roof top, struggling with three _Level E_'s when she noticed his gun by his feet.

Jumping down to the roof, she started to run toward the vampires. Before she made it to Zero to help, she was yanked back into a hard chest. An arm snaked around her waist and held her tightly as the other held her arms to her sides. She twisted and craned her head back, seeing the different colored eyes of the man that had ruined so many things in her life.

"Let me go, Rido!" she shouted.

"Tsk, tsk. That's _Uncle_ Rido to you. Hmmm." He cocked his head to the side in thought. "Though I guess since we're getting married, I could let you drop the 'uncle' part. What do you say, baby?"

He started to drag her to the roof's edge when his legs were frozen in place. He looked down to see them encased in ice. Rido smirked and looked up, noticing that Hanabusa had just arrived on the roof along with his bastard son. Senri slit his thumb once and flicked his wrist, causing his blood whip to strike out and wrap around his neck.

"Seriously?!" Rido barked out a laugh. "You guys seriously think you can fucking stop me?" The whip and ice shattered as Rido overpowered their efforts. He forced his influence over all his followers in the area to find Kaname and attack him at once. Nobles and hunters were something he could take care of easily, but a fellow pureblood—his own ancestor at that—was something he didn't want to chance.

A wave of bodies from the ground level and the few on the roof with them started moving away from the vicinity as they went toward the direction he assumed Kaname was in. Zero picked up his anti-vampire weapon from the ground and aimed it at him. Rido turned his body so that Yuuki would be in the way.

"Ah, ah! If you shoot then you hit my lovely Yuuki. She's a vampire now, Kiryu. You wanna kill her in the process?"

He hugged Yuuki closer to his chest as he weaved his head back and forth from behind Yuuki's head. He noticed the two nobles starting to move and from the corner of his eye, he could see that another had joined them. He released his control over them and made them freeze in place.

"You people are really troublesome, you know."

"Zero! Shoot him!" Yuuki yelled out.

"Don't be an idiot, I can't shoot him! You're in the way. I'll hit you too!"

"Aww, aren't you just so damn smart?" Rido lowered his head to Yuuki's neck and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes half way at the rich scent. He licked the length of flesh and was about to bite her when he heard a crackling sound. Pain bloomed in his head as he was struck in the temple. His grip on Yuuki loosened and she jumped away. When he looked, he saw her holding Artemis—except it was now in it's full form as a scythe. The crackling sound came from the reaction to her holding the anti-vampire weapon. He smiled, lust filling him as he looked at Yuuki but only saw Juri.

"Zero, now!"

He furrowed his brows at her when he realized almost too late what she meant. At the last moment, he moved his body as much as possible. It was enough for the shot from Zero's gun not to be fatal as his shoulder was hit instead.

"God! Fucking! Damn it!" Rido glared at Zero and nicked his thumb, transforming his blood into a whip and wrapping it around Zero's neck and upper body. "Why can't you just fucking stay frozen in place like the rest of these shits?!"

He lifted Zero up and threw him off of the roof top. The sound of leaves rustling and branches snapping could be heard. With a cursory glance at his wound, he turned and kicked Yuuki's arms. She had them in front of her as she held Artemis, but the pain from his kick made her drop her anti-vampire weapon almost immediately. Rido grabbed her by her hair and started dragging her to the roof's ledge. He picked her up and jumped down with her in his arms.

Making his way through the trees and away from the school, he fought with the struggling body in his arms and the pain in his shoulder. When he felt they were far enough from anyone who could find them or interrupt them, he put Yuuki down and spun her to face him.

"Would you stop struggling so much?!"

"No! Let me go! I hate you!"

"You _hate _me? Screw you!"

"Why can't you just _die_?!" she shouted at him.

"You want me to die? How bout I make you die instead, bitch? You know what, screw it. I think I'll do that right now and throw your lifeless body at Kaname as my ultimate gift. Go ahead, scream for him like Juri used to scream for Haruka when I drank from her."

He punched her in the face, knocking her out and holding her limp body against his. He lowered his mouth to her neck and licked it before biting down.

* * *

Kaname froze. He could smell Rido's blood, but more importantly... It was faint, but he was sure he could smell Yuuki's as well. He turned to the direction as he inhaled deeply, trying to verify that he was really smelling her blood and not making himself believe that he was out of worry. That sweet fragrance was so ingrained into his core that he could tell regardless of how far away or subdued it was.

Just then, a horde of _Level E_'s emerged from the woods and surrounded him and Kaien. Kaien took a step back and held his razor edged sword up and at the ready. Kaname looked at all the vampires, their crazed and glazed eyes with bodies twitching, staring at him as if unable to wait until they could get their next fix.

He truly did not have the time nor patience to deal with it. Since they were all out in the open, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The vampires all started to rush them. They grabbed Kaien and himself and tackled them to the ground, but before they could do anything else, Kaname latched on to a piece of every single one of their auras. He exhaled out slowly, blowing his power out with his breath as it zipped through the invisible threads he created with each of them. One after another, they all shattered into red crystals, their screams filling the night.

He opened his eyes and saw Kaien staring at him oddly and warily. Now wasn't the time to ponder the expression. Standing quickly, he ran with all his vampire speed to the direction of Yuuki's scent. It was a great distance away, but as he got closer, the scents of their blood got stronger. He ran further before he finally made it.

There, in the middle of a small clearing of trees, stood Rido leaning over Yuuki as if dipping her in a dance. Her arms lay limp and out to the sides, her hair cascading down like long ribbons and almost touching the ground. Blood stained her top half and dripped down on the ground as Rido drank from her neck. Her heart beat could barely be heard and she was almost drained dry, but for the time being she was still alive. And as long as she was still alive, she would be able to regenerate what was lost and be okay.

But even if she would be okay, Kaname wasn't. Seeing that, seeing his Yuuki like that, made something inside of him snap. The trees surrounding the area all burst into flames, the heat from the fire instantly becoming oppressive. It was enough to startle Rido and jerk his head up to look at Kaname, letting go of Yuuki's body and letting it drop to the ground. He listened and he could still hear her heart beat, so she was okay.

She was okay... but he _really_ wasn't.

Rido started laughing as he threw his arms out and looked around at the blazing ring, the inferno creating a wall and separating them from the outside world. It was just the three of them. His mouth, chin and neck were covered in blood. Yuuki's blood.

"Kurans!" Zero called out from the other side of the flame. He couldn't get through the wall of fire and started getting pushed back as the smoke from all the burning wood filled the air, making him cough.

"What's wrong, little nephew? You seem so intense right now."

Kaname walked slowly and stood in front of Rido. They were a few inches apart from each other and he stared into the blue and red eyes of the one and only man he ever felt he hated. His breathing was uneven and his body trembled with rage for the first time ever.

"I'm going to kill you now, Rido," Kaname whispered icily. He grabbed Rido's head with both his hands and placed his thumbs over the poisonous man's temples.

"Don't make me fucking laugh," Rido whispered back, a mixture of spit and blood hitting Kaname's cheek. "You can't kill me, Kaname. You couldn't back then and you can't now. You want to know why? Because I own you. I woke you up, _I'm_ your master."

He shook Rido violently as he barked out a laugh and growled, "You really are stupid, Rido." He started letting some of his power leak out and slip into his surrogate uncle. Rido's eyes widened slightly. "You think you're my master because you woke me from my sleep. Is that it?" Kaname leaned in a fraction more, so close that their noses almost touched. "If I recall correctly, my master is already dead. The blood that woke me was from Haruka and Juri's son, not you. You merely contributed after the fact."

Kaname unleashed all his power at once straight into Rido, a shock wave rippling out with him as the epicenter. Rido's entire body coagulated and burst instantly, spraying bits and pieces of flesh, bone and blood everywhere. Kaname's entire front was covered with the remains. He lowered his hands to his sides and looked down at Yuuki. She looked so fragile...

His hand shook as he knelt down next to her and hesitantly extended it to touch her cheek. He stopped before making contact, not wanting to touch her with such tainted hands. No, she had made it clear previously that she didn't care how dirty he was. She loved him no matter what, and he loved her.

Pushing his arms underneath her body, he lifted her up easily and cradled her to his chest as he stood. They would leave this place behind. He would take her to the Kuran mansion and heal her wounds and help her recover. It would be his mission in life to make sure nothing ever happened to her again. That the only thing she would ever have to worry about was deciding what pair of shoes to wear.

"Hey! Kuran! Wait! Where do you think you're going?!"

Kaname turned slightly to see Zero still behind the wall of fire, though now he was on the ground as he struggled to stand—a combination of the fumes from the flames and the hit he was sure to have received when Kaname released his power.

"We're leaving. Good bye."

"No, wait! You can't leave! What happened to me protecting Yuuki! I'm her knight, you said so yourself! You can't just leave!" Zero started coughing again. "H-hey, wait!"

Kaname smirked and said one last thing to Zero before turning and walking in the opposite direction, parting the flames with his power and leaving everything behind.

"Who needs a knight when you have a king?"

The end.

* * *

**A/N: Well! That's it, folks! Next chapter will be the short bonus of requests I got. I seriously want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and/or favorited my story. Truly means a lot to me and I've met some great people because of it.**

******Continue this story, do a sequel or something else? I've set up a poll on my profile if you're interested in voting. Feel free to PM or send a review with suggestions/opinions as well if you'd like. I have an idea for my next story already but we'll see. :)**

**To my IRL friends who haven't read/watched VK but read my story: The manga/anime spends its entire time making Zero up to be, quite literally as the title says, the vampire knight. You'll see constant hints and reminders thrown in your face (like the horse White Lily hating all vampires except Zero; him riding a white horse like The Hooded Woman; Kaname constantly playing with a white knight chess piece, etc). This is exactly why I had Kaname say that last line, cause in my opinion, it's true! Sorry Zero fans! :P**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	21. Bonus-topia

**A/N: Here is the bonus chapter that I promised. I don't ****_think_**** I missed anyone's request, but if I did please let me know and I'll include it in the sequel's bonus chapter. None of these shorts really tie in to my story except for title 2. You could maaaaybe tie in titles 3 and 4... maybe.**

**I will now be marking this story as complete.**

* * *

**Requested by:** Quiet Intensity

**Request:** My version of Kaname and Isaya's relationship/conversation.

**Note: **For those unclear, Isaya Shoto is the pureblood douche bag WHO WANTED TO DIE that originally offered to be sacrificed for the furnace but was refused by Kaname. And then later maaaaaaaagically just so happened to fucking disappear at the end of the VK manga. Huff...

**Title: **1 - Brothers In Da Hizzouz

**Scene:** Starts off at the masquerade Isaya held.

Isaya says, "Yo dawg, I heard you be jackin' yo life and shiz. Can I haz an invite to join?"

Kaname replies, "Aw yeah, son. Playas gotta represent the S to the UICID double E WUT!"

"Awwww snap! Fist bump, brutha!"

_Some time later, during the final battle..._

Isaya goes to sacrifice himself to turn Yuuki human but Zero stops him. Kaname sacrifices his heart.

Isaya says, "Dat dawg be crazy, man." He then disappears to drink coffee and eat cloudberries.

* * *

**Requested by:** Jacktherat, Guest

**Request:** "Kaname and Yuuki" (as kids), "Kaname and Yuuki as children!"

**Title:** 2 - Magical Pony

**Details: **Yuuki is five and Kaname is seven.

**Scene:** The Kurans—Haruka, Juri, Kaname and Yuuki—are in their mansion in the big, windowless room.

Haruka and Juri sat together on the couch as they watched Kaname and Yuuki playing together. Juri snuggled closer to Haruka and kissed his neck, right under his ear.

"They look so adorable together like that, don't they?" she asked.

"Yes, they really do."

"Our beautiful children."

The sounds of Yuuki's giggles filled the air. Haruka leaned in closer and whispered into Juri's ear, just loud enough so only she could hear. With a room full of vampires, it was a hard feat to pull off.

"I know Kaname is our son, but we both know he's technically our ancestor. To think he'd actually put up with something like that..." Haruka trailed off as he stared at the two young purebloods playing. "It's truly amazing, isn't it?"

Kaname turned his head and looked directly at Haruka, eyes narrowed into slits as he gave him a death glare. Haruka swallowed, realizing he wasn't as quiet as he had thought he was. The stare was clear: a threat to never mention this day to anyone.

Yuuki's giggles stopped as she huffed. "Brother! I didn't say to stop! Now giddy up, pony! Go faster!"

She grabbed the back of Kaname's shirt tighter as she swung her feet back and forth, holding up her toy scepter in the air with her free hand. Kaname turned his head away from Haruka and looked forward. He started crawling on his hands and knees again, doing his master's bidding as he continued letting her ride around on his back.

"My brother is the bestest magical pony ever!"

Kaname lowered his head so his fringe covered his face. He crawled around behind the couch and allowed himself a small smile.

* * *

**Requested by:** Frost Merry Darkness Luver

**Request:** "Her changing!"

**Note:** Sorry, I know you meant her changing into a vampire but since I've already written that into the story, I'll take advantage of the double entendre.

**Title:** 3 - Changing

**Details: **Kaname is a creeper/perv... maybe?! Yuuki is human.

**Scene:** Yuuki is in Kaname's bedroom.

The clothes that she had planned on wearing were already laid out on the bed. She didn't want to be late for lunch with the Chairman so she had prepared everything earlier in the day. Making sure the door to the bedroom was closed, she pulled her tie loose and threw it on the bed. A sensation of being watched suddenly washed over her and she stilled, her hand on the top button of her jacket.

She turned around to see if someone had come up behind her, perhaps she hadn't noticed or heard while in her own thoughts. No one was there, causing her to frown. She shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the bed, undoing the buttons for her uniform jacket and shirt. She let them slip off before her hand went to the zipper of her skirt.

A soft noise caught her attention and she turned again, feeling tense. Still, no one was there so she frowned again and unzipped her skirt, letting that fall to the ground as well. She stepped out of it, remaining in her bra, panties and thigh high socks. A chill ran down her spine, causing her nipples to harden and poke against her bra.

The noise came again, but this time is sounded like a low groan. Her shoulders tensed as fear and anxiety ran down her spine. She picked up her dress and covered her chest with it as she slowly turned her head, looking at the direction of the noise.

The walk-in closet door was cracked open and she could see the light was on, having not noticed it before. There was a movement and she froze, waiting to see or hear anything else. Another low groan and more movements and her heart started to race. She took a step toward the closet, trying to remain quiet.

"Yuuki..."

The voice was low and she was sure it belonged to a man. It sounded as if he whispered it to himself. Another step forward and she saw the movement again, an arm moving up and down but not much else as the door was in the way. She couldn't see what was going on behind the closet door, but she freaked out at the implications. She screeched and ran out of the room, not caring that she hadn't put her dress on yet.

Kaname jerked up and poked his head out of the closet, wondering why he heard Yuuki yell. Was he caught? Did she see what he was doing? He hoped she didn't, he didn't want the surprise ruined. He turned back to what he was doing.

A stack of loose papers were on his lap and as he skimmed over the page quickly, he groaned at the unsatisfactory results, picking it up and throwing it on the ground in front of him. He took the charcoal pencil and started with quick, long strokes across the sheet again, wanting to make the drawing of her perfect but losing his patience with himself.

"Yuuki..." he whispered, "I want this to look perfect for you."

* * *

**Requested by:** Sy/Sy94

**Request:** "A scene of Kaname and Yuki with their children would be nice."

**Title: **4 - Projectiles

**Details:** Kaname and Yuuki are married and have two children. Their son is three and their daughter is six months.

**Scene:** It's the middle of the day (when they would all be normally sleeping) and their daughter is sick. Both Yuuki and Kaname are extremely exhausted—Kaname from meetings and work and Yuuki from taking care of the children.

The unhappy howls of their baby broke the silence of the mansion, causing Kaname and Yuuki to wake up. Yuuki groaned and turned to face Kaname, throwing the covers over her head and covering her ears. Kaname sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. Yuuki threw the covers off of her and huffed.

"Maybe if we wait, she'll stop crying and go back to sleep," Yuuki said wistfully. The crying continued and after another minute of hearing the pathetic cries, Yuuki started to roll out of bed.

"Wait," Kaname said. "Stay. I'll attend to her."

"Are you sure? You have another meeting with the Hunter Association today."

"Yes, it'll be fine. Get some rest."

He leaned over to her and kissed her before throwing the covers off of himself and swinging his legs over, getting out of bed. The room their daughter was in was next to theirs and would remain so until she became older. He opened the door to her room and flinched as his ears were pierced by her wailing, the sounds no longer muted by doors and the short distance between the rooms.

"Sshh. It's okay, my dear girl," Kaname tried to soothe as he walked up to her crib and picked her up. She continued to cry as Kaname started to sway back and forth, trying to rock her into peace. "Are you hungry, little one? Is that it?"

She hiccuped and looked up at him, her cries halting momentarily. Kaname stared at her big, beautiful brown eyes, just like Yuuki's. The calm was only temporary as she started to cry again. Kaname placed his hand over her chest to feel her heart beat and tried to rub her stomach, racking his brain for possible solutions. Their son had made hardly any fuss as a baby, so this was all new to him.

"Papa?" a small voice from behind him said.

Kaname turned to see his son standing at the entrance of the room, rubbing his eyes with his tiny fists. Despite everything, he noted that his son's hair was getting too long in the front and that he'd need it trimmed soon to keep it out of his eyes.

"Did the crying wake you?"

"Uh huh," he nodded and stepped into the room.

Kaname turned his attention back to the little bundle in his arms as she suddenly stopped crying. He sighed in relief and moved to hold her in front of him, his hands under her arms so he could be face to face with her. She smiled at him and his heart swelled with the love he felt for his family.

Just then, she threw up, the contents of her stomach forcefully expelled and hitting him straight in the face. It dripped down his face to his neck and the front of his silken pajama shirt. She hiccuped again and started giggling as he held her away from him, his eyes shut tightly closed. The sound of his son laughing filled the room.

"Here, Papa. I can hold her." He felt his son's tiny hands against his as he took hold of his baby sister.

"Oh, my..." Yuuki's voice startled him. "Here." She started wiping his face with a towel as he kept his hands out to the sides, not wanting to get the vomit any where else.

"It's not funny, Yuuki," he growled.

"I'm not laughing..."

"Yes, you are."

Yuuki could no longer hold her laughter back as she started smacking his arm while doubling over from the fits she was having. "Oh Kaname! You should see yourself! It's so funny!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to take a shower. I think she's feeling better now," he grumbled.

They both turned to look at their daughter and noticed that she and their son were both fast asleep on the couch in the corner of the room. Their son had placed himself at the edge to block her from possibly rolling over and falling. Her little fingers were wrapped around his thumb. Yuuki grabbed a blanket and placed it over the both of them and ushered Kaname out of the room, partially closing the door behind them.

* * *

**Requested by:** My husband

**Request:** Zero using an anti anti-vampire weapon.

**Note: **One day my husband asked what I was up to. I told him I was writing a scene of a character shooting another with an anti-vampire gun (Sayori and Zero in chapter 17). He asked, "So, why doesn't he take out an anti anti-vampire weapon?" I made a o.O face and told him there was no such thing as an anti anti-vampire weapon in the VK world and that the character (Zero) was chained up anyway. He said, "You're the writer, you can make whatever you want happen." I told him I'd add it as a bonus (he's one of the IRL people mentioned in the A/N in chapter 20).

**Title:** 5 - Act Now, Save Later!

**Details: **Soap opera and infomercial style.

**Scene:** The dungeon that houses the cell that Zero is locked in.

"Sayori!" Zero whipped his hair out of his face. "Listen, I'm..." He placed the back of his wrist over his forehead and closed his eyes, lifting his head up to the ceiling. "I'm so sorry for what I did." He made a fist and looked at her with fire burning in his eyes. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"Oh, Zero!" Sayori turned from him quickly, showing him her back as she hugged herself tightly. "I... I just don't know!" She peaked at him over her shoulder. "You hurt me bad, Johnny."

"Johnny? Who is that?!" Zero's eyes narrowed at her. "You're cheating on me with another man!"

Sayori gasped, covering her mouth. "It's not what you think, baby! Johnny is... Johnny is..."

Dramatic music started to play out of no where, causing Sayori and Zero to look around suspiciously. She ran to the cell and grabbed the bars, pressing her face against them.

"After everything we've been through together, toots, this is how it ends up, huh?" Zero turned his face away from her, hurt.

"Johnny is... my cat! He hurt me! Look!" She lifted her sleeve up to show Zero a scratch. It was Zero's turn to gasp. "That's not all though, Zero. Is having that hunger within you making you down?"

Zero's eyes lit up as he looked up at her. "Why, yes! It is! I'm so sad... so terribly sad!"

"Well, I've got just the solution you need." She lifted up the anti-vampire weapon, Bloody Rose, and pointed it at Zero.

"Sayori! No! Don't do this to me, baby! We'll go on that long awaited vacation. I'll go shoppin' with ya and everything!"

"It's too late. Zero, my love! Good bye!"

She pulled the trigger, the magic bullet firing and zooming straight toward Zero. Everything slowed, showing the widening eyes and mouth of Zero as he yelled, "Noooooooooooooooo!" The pitch of his voice lowered and his word elongated from being in slow motion.

Suddenly, the bullet hit and a spark of light lit up the room, momentarily blinding them both. Sayori covered her eyes with her forearm until the light faded away. When she turned to look at Zero, he was wrapped in a blue Snuggie.

She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side while smiling at him. "Oh, Zero! You jokester!"

He gave her a thumbs up before they both turned to the camera, grinning.

"Introducing the magical, anti anti-vampire weapon Snuggie! Your own personal protection against any anti-vampire weapon that may be drawn on you!" Zero claimed.

"Tired of those pesky hunters coming after you with no way of fighting back? The anti anti-vampire weapon Snuggie is just the thing you need!" Sayori continued. "Now you can kill helpless humans and run away without having to worry about a hunter shanking you in the back!"

"You could spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on nifty weapons you can use to fight back, only to end up dying anyway, but they still wont do everything the anti anti-vampire weapon Snuggie can do!" Zero proclaimed.

"But!" Sayori said. "Right now, during our special introductory price, you can get this wonderful, comfortable anti anti-vampire weapon Snuggie for an amazing price of just $9,999.99. Or just four hundred easy payments of $99.99 each!"

"Wow, Sayroi. That really is amazing!"

"It really is, Zero!" she laughed. "But that's not all! Call now and you'll also receive as an amazing bonus: the waterproof anti anti-vampire weapon pancho for free! Now you can go on a killing rampage and escape hunter death during the rainy seasons too! That's a total value of over $899.99 that you're getting free!"

Zero chimed in then. "But wait! There's more! Call within the next .02 seconds and you'll receive a _second_ anti anti-vampire weapon Snuggie FREE! Your choice of color too! All you pay is shipping and handling."

"If you feel unsatisfied or dead and feel that the anti anti-vampire weapon Snuggie didn't suit your needs or meet up to your expectations, call and we'll send you your money back. What's there to lose other than your life?!"

Both Sayori and Zero continued to stare at the camera as a phone number displayed on the bottom of the screen.

* * *

**Requested by:** A fan

**Request: **"Kaname and Yuuki are back at the Kuran mansion and he's treating her wounds and taking care of her."

**Note: **Since I will be making a sequel, I will put this as part of the first chapter rather than a short bonus. Sorry!

* * *

**A/N: Per the votes and comments I received, the majority of everyone wants a sequel to ****_The Vampire King_**** as a stand alone story. I will be starting that soon, more than likely to be titled ****_The Vampire Queen_**** and it will start off where TVK ended. I don't have a date of when I'll post the first chapter of TVQ yet so stay tuned if you're interested!**

**Any criticism, positive or negative, is welcome.**

**Thank you for reading.**


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